Hikari
by LunaRoad
Summary: Twenty years after Naruto and Sasuke's final Shippuden battle, Madara's death, and the Fourth Shinobi World War, Uzumaki Hikari is trying to live in a world where she overshadowed by her entire family. But she isn't too normal herself... T for language .
1. Ken

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Okay, so this is the first fanfic I've done in a while, and it's the first one about Naruto I've done. Set in the future, okay? It's past the Fourth Shinobi World War, Madara is stopped, yada yada yada, but after Sasuke and Naruto's final fight, Sasuke left with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and thought his friend had been killed. NaruHina.

Flame if you want, just say something and enjoy!  
>-<p>

"Byakugan." I heard my brother speak.

"How many birds are in the trees?" I asked him.

"One…two…three…four." I threw a rock. Seven birds were startled into flight. Ken looked up, his large milky white eyes staring at the sky. "Seven birds."

"You're young." I told him reassuringly. "You'll get it." He looked at me with hope.

"You really think so, nee-san?" He asked, his second fingers pressing together, a nervous habit our mother had. I put my hand on his head. His hair was blonde, like our father's. I looked into his eyes and said, "I know you will."

Ken looked happy that I had confidence in him. "Thank you, nee-san."

"Now go home." I told him. "Do your homework."

The little boy looked upset. "Can't you help me with it?" He whined.

I looked down disapprovingly. "I have to practice, Ken. But I'll be home for dinner. Tomorrow I'll teach you shuriken throwing, okay?"

Ken smiled at the prospect. I handed him my forehead protector to take home. He slipped it in his pocket, and he said, "Okay!" and left.

Which left me in the clearing alone. I backed up against a tree.

My name is Hikari. I am thirteen years old. I am a Chunin from Konohagakure. My uniform is the standard chain mail shirt over a tank top, a skirt and leggings that reached down to mid-calf. None of the newly-updated flak jackets fit me. My brother Ken is nine years old. He was born with the Byakugan. I was not. You could say I was jealous of him. Yes, I was. I was jealous that all our family on that side gives him attention.

My mother is Hyuuga Hinata, and basically just goes along with what they say. The only person she can really stand up to is my father, Uzumaki Naruto. And she's the only person he'll back down to.

And while my mother raised my brother, I was left to be raised by my father.

Who, of course, is the freakin' Hokage.

You could say my parents never really raised me. I just kind of did whatever the hell I wanted to because my father wouldn't punish me.

Until that one time.

You could say after that I wasn't jealous of my brother anymore.

But now people avoid me like the plague.

After that, I stopped pulling the pranks on the village. I became a good student. I graduated from the Academy top of my class. First one to become a Chunin. First one to be going for Jounin the next time the Jounin exams comes around. So I decided to do a bit of shuriken practice, because on the last mission I noticed it had been getting a little rusty. I also decided I would practice a bit of water walking, since my ninjutsu wasn't the best (thanks, Dad).

I walked a little bit further into the woods until I could find a good tree to practice on. I'm very short, but I'm strong, and a lot of trees had been destroyed by the marks of kunai from me and a lot of other ninja…including some splintered trees, thanks to my Aunt Sakura. I walked past a thick patch of trees, where there was no sunlight to speak of. I didn't like it. My name, Hikari, light, is a perfect name for me- I couldn't do anything without the sun. So I walked a bit further into the woods, until I found a small, secluded clearing just inside the border of Konoha. It was unscathed and unruly, quiet, and awesome. The stream babbled by happily. Perfect.

Ever since that day, my ninjutsu had been better I had become more focused. So I stood by the creek, flipped my red hair back from my face, focused my chakra into my feet, and walked on the water. Because of the rocks, it was a bit uneven, but I managed okay. I walked up and down, concentrating firmly, until I was able to do other things on the water. I practiced my shuriken training on the water. Wind techniques. Kunais. My special moves. The whole nine yards.

"That was awesome." Said a voice. I spun around, and fell into the water. I cursed. Behind me was a kid I had never seen before.


	2. Ichiro

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Hope you like the next chapter, guys!**

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><p>"You made me lose concentration, dammit." I said, irritated. "Who the hell do you think you are, ruining my training like that?" I stopped. I realized I was too hotheaded with this kid. He looked to be ten or eleven, and had black hair and black eyes. He wore simply a tunic shirt and pants. No shoes. Kunai and shuriken were strapped to his right knee, and he had a two-foot sword strapped to his back. Even if this kid wasn't a ninja, he was well armed. What pissed me off was that he was taller than me. The kid looked upset. I didn't feel I should apologize. It was his fault.<p>

"I was…uh, fascinated by your training. My dad can walk on water too. Are you a ninja, like him?" Strange kid. I pointed to my forehead protector that I wore around my neck like my mom, realized it wasn't there, and pretended to scratch my neck instead.

"Yeah, I'm a ninja." I told him. "I'm a Chunin."

Awkward silence moment. "Aren't you a little young to be a ninja?" He asked me.

"Aren't you a little young to be carrying weapons?" I retorted back. "You're what, eleven?"

"Well, if you're a Chunin, you must have been my age and carrying weapons." That shut me up.

"If you must know, I was made a Chunin six months ago, and I've only been a ninja for a year." I narrowed my eyes to look at him. His black eyes stared back. It was the first time I noticed that he was a kid just carrying some stuff that he probably didn't want to carry. He answered my unspoken question.

"My dad taught me to use these." He didn't seem too happy about it. I got the feeling he wasn't much of a big fighter. "But I want to make him happy."

I stepped out of the water. Just as a fish jumped up, I withdrew a kunai and threw it. The fish pierced the part of the tree next to the boy's head. He jumped back, and the fish stopped struggling, the kunai pierced through its heart. "Can you do that?" I asked him. I was bragging, but then again, that was about the best thing I was good at. The boy shook his head. "You hungry?" He nodded. I gathered a couple of fallen branches and used the lighter I had. A fire flickered to life. I got the fish and took out its bones, cut it in half, and stuck it on two sticks to cook, rotating it from time to time. The boy sat down next to me and took off his sword. We sat in silence.

"What's your name?" I asked him.

"Ichiro."

"Oh. Mine's Hikari."

"Hm." I handed him one of the skewers. He took a bite. I took the other one. The fish was delicious. We sat still in more silence. When the meal was done, I stomped out the fire. "Better erase our presence." I told him. I formed the seals for a water jutsu, which then caused the creek to overflow and wash away the remnants of our campsite.

I looked at Ichiro's face as I did this. His expression remained stoic, like he'd seen this before. I chose to ignore it. "Has your father taught you nature affinity ninjutsu?" I asked suspiciously. I had only started learning; that's totally not cool that a kid younger than me knows something Jounin-level and so cool when I didn't know something that awesome when I was his age. It made me jealous. I decided that it wouldn't faze me.

"Yeah." He replied. "My father taught me fire nature."

"Um…that's nice." I said. I wasn't too partial towards fire nature, even though I had learned one jutsu. When I was practicing it with my father, we set the house on fire…oops. "Do you have any other natures?" The boy shook his head.

"What about you?" He asked me. I didn't answer. My affinity would give me away immediately.

A man walked out of the woods. He looked to be about the same age as my father and looked exactly like Ichiro. The boy bowed slightly at the hip, his sword suddenly strapped to his body. "Hello, Otousan." Ichiro said. I had a sudden feeling I should bow as well, but I chose not to. I noticed that Ichiro used a formal version of 'father'. I would just call my father "Chichi," unless we were with company or on a mission, which had happened once. But it seemed that Ichiro was used to calling his father "Otousan," which I wasn't.

"Who is this?" He asked his son apathetically. I didn't like it when people didn't treat me with respect, or at least get to know me a bit. I balled my hands into fists and grinded my teeth. I may be small, and I may be young, but I'm strong.

"She says her name's Hikari." I decided to take the higher approach. I looked up at the man with a defiant, square look. I threw my shoulders back. Some say that my face looks more adult and less thirteen-year-old when I show that expression. My father says I looked like him when he was my age. My mother agreed with that- except my eyes were a few shades lighter than my father's.

"Who are you?" I asked the man. I was sizing him up. Definitely a former ninja. I could tell by his stance and his body that he was a travelling type, and Ichiro had mentioned his father had been a ninja.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Where had I heard the name 'Uchiha' before?


	3. Sasuke

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own any of the characters, storylines, or concepts Masashi Kishimoto has created. I don't own much. I don't even own a brick. Kind of wish I did, though. Wouldn't it be cool to have a brick? Cause you kind of know how they're made and they're kind of made like raisins but you can't eat bricks…**

**Disclaimer: I am not high. But ADD does run in my family. Thanks, Dad. Happy Father's Day! **

**This chapter is for my dad, because Father's Day is today and my dad loves Naruto.**

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><p>"Uh…hi." I said to the mysterious man. Sasuke. The dude. Father of Ichiro. Cookie? No. Directions? No. Strange? Exceedingly so. I thought my strange-moment charts were flying off the meter. "I was just practicing my ninjutsu when your son found me. I cooked him a fish." I couldn't think of anything else to say, and what I had said sounded lame.<p>

Uchiha! Aunt Sakura had mentioned that the Uchiha clan was an old clan from Konoha that had been wiped out in one bloody night. She also said there was one Uchiha left, and when I asked her more, she didn't say anything. So I left it at that.

"Thank you." Sasuke said. What would I say? Sasuke-san? I was never good with suffixes. "Are you from Konoha?" Sasuke asked nonchalantly. But I sensed that he was on edge. I did possibly the smartest thing I could do in a situation. I lied.

"I'm…a rogue ninja." I told him. I was lucky Ichiro hadn't asked where I was from.

"I thought you said you had just become a Chunin." Ichiro, with his goddamn big mouth, said.

Quickly, I made up a story. "Yeah, but when I was sent on a C-rank mission with my subordinates, the mission turned deadly and I couldn't act correctly. The mission went A-rank and everyone died except me." I bowed my head for extra effect, hoping I wasn't laying it on too thick. "Kinda became a pariah after that. Left the village. Been travelling ever since." I hoped my faint Konoha accident didn't give anything away.

I had a feeling that this man, Sasuke, had something for Konoha…and it wasn't cotton candy.

My 'special corner' in my mind, the one with the terrible power from the thing that happened, was going off like a weapons ninja locked in the supply room.

Luckily, they believed me.

"You aren't too partial towards the Shinobi world, are you?" Sasuke asked me. He was ignoring his son fully. I found that kind of disrespectful, ignoring your closest family member in a conversation. But then again, my family wasn't too favorable towards me, either.

"No." I said. I made a lie, I would go through with it.

"I see. I am forming an army against the Shinobi Nations. I have smaller nations on my side, and together, we will create a better world, one where the Five Shinobi Nations do not exist. Are you with me?"

I was taken aback by this sudden zealous statement. I turned to Ichiro. He was nodding. "I could have had a family, but Konoha took it away from me." He said. Oh. Wow. What should I do?

I looked at Sasuke's eyes. They weren't coal-black anymore. They were red, with…oh, gulp. The Sharingan. I had only seen it on Kakashi-sensei before, and the double effect was unnerving. Ichiro's eyes were Sharingan, too. I hadn't known he could do that. He had the full Sharingan. Oh man. Creepy times ten.

"That is a generous offer." I said, going the tactical route. "I need to think on that. I'm used to being on my own, so I'll return to my original campsite and think on it for a while, if that's fine by you. I haven't spoken to someone for a few weeks."

"You have one week for a decision." Sasuke said. I nodded, and left, waving to Ichiro. I turned away from Konoha.

I knew they were following me. I flew through the trees parallel to Konoha for an hour until I realized that they had gone back. Congratulated myself on my creative lying abilities and my convincing attitude, my short stature, and the fact that I'm a girl. People usually believe girls.

I turned around and ran as fast as I could to Konoha.

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><p><strong>Short chappie, I know, but thanks for reading! Subscribe and review my little pretties. *<strong>**eveel cackle*******


	4. Naruto

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. i dnt own nrto. No tengo Naruto. Get the drift?**

**And thanks for subscribing guys! I would love some reviews :)**

I walked into my house. It was nearly empty. My mother was probably in the kitchen making dinner, but I had no idea where Ken was. He hadn't run up to me to greet me in his usual way, so he must be visiting Dad.

My house was large. It was the Hyuuga household, and since my mom was a Hyuuga, she lived there. Hanabi, my mom's younger sister, was the leader of the Hyuuga clan. She lived in the largest household in the Hyuuga neighborhood. Aunt Hanabi and Mom's cousins lived in separate wings of the house, so they had their own residences, basically like next-door neighbors. But since our father was the Hokage, obviously he was entitled to a big house. Dad had shown me where he grew up, and it was a dingy little room and a bathroom, but he walked around it like it was as big as our house today.

"Okachan?" I called. My mom had gotten home from leading a mission with her Genin squad two days ago. Today she had gone on a simple mission for them, but hopefully she was home today. I wasn't the best cook, so sometimes we had my aunt come over to help a bit.

"Oh, Hikari. You're home." I heard my mom's gentle voice call from inside. It was reassuring all was the same even after what I had encountered today. I loved hearing her voice. It reminded me of sitting inside while listening to the cold rain outside. It made me think of playing with my brother as children, before my accident and before I realized my brother was favored by the Hyuugas. I removed my sandals and ran into the house.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm in the kitchen." Mom replied. I ran into the nicely lit kitchen to find my mom was standing with a very familiar figure.

"Aunt Sakura!" I shouted in delight. Aunt Sakura was always away on dangerous missions, acting as a medical kunoichi and also the strength of the mission. When she wasn't on a mission, she was working around the clock at the Konoha Hospital. She told me that she barely had enough time to become a Jounin, and somehow she had done it. It was always a big treat to see her, and even more of a big treat to have her for dinner. She was like a second mother to me, and to have my family members around me made me forget about what had happened earlier.

I ran at Aunt Sakura and gave her a massive hug. She was about the same height as my mom, so I reached her shoulder.

"You've gotten taller, Hikari." Aunt Sakura said.

"Don't treat me like a kid anymore, Aunt Sakura." I complained. "I'm thirteen." Aunt Sakura glared at me. I said the wrong thing. I threw my arms back, my hands on the back of my neck, smiling up at her. "You really think so, though? I'm too short and all the other ninja think I'm ten!" Aunt Sakura was smiling.

"Hikari, can you get Ken and your father? When Ken finished his homework he went to get Naruto and they aren't back for dinner." I turned to my mom, who was staring at me with her pale gaze. I nodded my head.

"I'll get them."

I smiled to Aunt Sakura and left, putting on my shoes and running out the door. My dad worked a lot, going around Konoha a lot, but usually at the end of the day, after reviewing day long missions, he would stand on top of the Hokage building, staring at the stone faces of his predecessors. I left the Hyuuga courtyard, waving to my cousin. He smiled back. He was boasting his father's forehead protector that he steals on a weekly basis as a prank. But it also covers up the Hyuuga tattoo crest on his forehead, which he got when Ken turned three. He was a year younger than Ken.

I ran outside and leapt onto the nearby building, trying to avoid the crowds as I ran to the Hokage Monument where my dad works. He and Ken weren't inside, and they weren't on the roof either. I paused for a moment to stare at the men (and woman) who protected their village as the Hokage. There were the two brothers, the First and Second, the Second's disciple, the Third, my grandfather, the Fourth, the First's granddaughter and Third's disciple, the Fifth. And my father, the Sixth.

I looked up further and saw two people at the top of the mountain. I ascended the staircase and walked to the edge of the cliff. My father was kneeling, his hands on Ken's shoulders. He was smiling. Ken was wearing my father's red cloak, the one with the black flames at the bottom. The two of them looked like they were having a father and son moment, their blonde spiky heads bent towards one another. It was peaceful, and I hated to disturb it, but my stomach was growling.

"Chichi? Ken? It's time for dinner." They turned to me at the same time. Ken took off the cloak and gave it back to his father. Dad dusted it off and threw it on.

"Okay." Dad said. Ken ran past me and flew down the stairs in his excitement. We walked in silence behind him.

"It's not fair." I said to Dad. "Ken was born with the Byakugan. Everyone loves him."

"What about it?" Chichi asked.

"Everyone hates me because of what happened."

"I know it wasn't your fault, and I love you all the same." Dad said, putting his hand on my head. I looked up at him, pouting, and took it off.

"Chichi." I whined. "No one else does. They're scared of me. They hate me because of who I am."

"You don't think people hated me because I'm the Kyuubi?" Dad asked.

"But Ken was born with the Byakugan and everyone loves him. My own family favors him more than they love me."

"Your brother may have been born with the Byakugan, but you were born with the Rinnegan." I nodded and looked down. We continued down the stairs to get home.


	5. Sakura

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Happy Summer everybody!**

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><p>My dad selected me to lead a bunch of Genins on a mission. He told me it would last five days. I was excited because that would mean that I would miss telling Ichiro and his creepy father that I wouldn't be travelling with them. I was scared, though. I didn't know them, and they might attack me, or find me, or…something. I was frightened enough to believe that.<p>

I didn't know why I was so scared. My dad told me to be scared of nothing, so I built up my tolerance until I wasn't scared of anything. But this…this was just too much.

The mission was to send a scroll regarding the Chunin Exams to Kumogakure, where the next Exam would be held. I delivered it to the Raikage myself, and travelled back to Konoha. The mission took three days. The Genins were serious and they got as much pay as I did, because they did so well.

When I returned home, Sakura was still there. She told me she was taking a break for a while, so I asked her to come train with me. She accepted my invitation, and we went to the Southern Hills, far from where Ichiro had found me.

"Aunt Sakura, can you help me?" I asked her. Sakura turned around from her kunai practice, her face inquisitive.

"What is it, Hikari?" She asked me. I felt like this was a stupid question, since no one else could help me with this, but I ought to try.

"Can you help me control the, uh, Rinnegan?" I tried to just spit it out. Sakura looked surprised.

"I don't know if I can, but let's try." Aunt Sakura said. "Your mom brings out the Byakugan by focusing on it." She started. "Maybe if you try to focus on it, it'll come out."

"You know I can't control it that well." I said. "And Mom's Byakugan is always showing."

"What's with the pessimism?" Sakura asked angrily. "Damn it, you asked me for help. Now concentrate! I'll help you if you get out of hand."

Since I asked Sakura for help, I couldn't go back. So I closed my eyes and concentrated, imagining the purple eyes and the three black rings, the fact that I could see everything- the chakra levels, far away birds startled into flight, even jutsus being performed miles away.

Suddenly my eyes hurt. I felt tears trickle down my face, and I opened my eyes with a gasp. I could see everything. It was amazing. I saw Sakura in front of me, but I also saw her amazing chakra level, her incredible ability to focus chakra, and even her nature affinity.

"Well?" Sakura asked shakily. "Do you feel it?" I nodded. I knew I was reminding her of the time when another Rinnegan user attacked the village, but that wasn't my problem, was it?

"Can you teach me a ninjutsu?" I asked her. Sakura nodded.

"I learned the Summoning Technique from Tsunade-sama, my Master." Sakura said. "So I can Summon slugs. How about I teach you that?"

"I already know the Summoning Technique." I complained. "My dad taught it to me."

Sakura looked pissed. "Alright then, you've never Summoned when you have the Rinnegan, right? So try." I nodded, but Sakura held her hand up. "On the other hand, let's not do that. I saw Pain's Summons, and they're a little too big and dangerous to do it right now. Plus, the strain might kill you." I looked down sheepishly. "Let me teach you my healing technique." But Sakura didn't have time for that, because a medical-nin appeared in front of us at that moment.

"Sakura-sama." He said. "There is a crisis at Konoha Hospital. A couple of Jounin were attacked by someone, and they're not talking. We suspect genjustu."

"I'm coming." Aunt Sakura said. She gave me a wink and left. I understood. A lot of people are too busy for me.

_There's no time for me to pout! _I thought. _I have to train, if I want to become a Jounin. I need to work hard if I want to master the Rinnegan._

I created my list of techniques I should learn. I had gotten a lot of wind-natured techniques from Dad, and the rest from Kakashi-sensei. Except for fire-natured techniques. I had only one, and I didn't want to learn any more. I pulled out my list and began the training for the first on Kakashi-sensei's list- Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. I didn't like the sound of that one, but Kakashi-sensei described it as disappearing underground using Earth Release: Hidden Mole Technique, which I already knew, and grabbing an opponent to drag under ground. I fashioned a dummy out of sticks and rope, and stood it up. I breathed in, breathe out.

Forming the seals, I said, "Doton: Morguragakure no Jutsu." And dove underground. Once there, I located the dummy and consulted the paper again. It was covered in dirt. I formed the seals for the new Earth Release technique, and I said, "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu." I reached up and grabbed something. It was prickly and dirty-feeling. I pulled.

Suddenly I was above ground, staring at the top of the dummy I had made. I did the justu with one try. Then I noticed the Rinnegan was still out. That must be it.

I wiped away the tears that were still on my face from the Rinnegan. But it wasn't tears. It was blood. "Fuck." I said. Then I steeled myself to continue.

I was so focused on my new physically expensive way of training that it took me a while to notice I was being watched. "Hello?" I asked. I scanned the area. Two figures were staring at me, but they were gone in a flash, once realizing they were caught. It didn't matter. I knew who they were. And they knew what I was.


	6. Family

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.  
>I love posting now. My mind's on a roll and I have nothing else to do for a bit.<strong>

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><p>I reluctantly woke up on the seventh day after seeing Ichiro and Sasuke. I groaned and rolled over in my bed. No one else in the house was awake. All I heard were the quite breaths of sleeping bodies. I looked at my clock. It read 5:30. I wanted to roll onto my back and fall asleep again, but something was forcing me to get up.<p>

Yeah…I had to pee like a motherfucker.

Once I was done with my business, I got back into bed, but I couldn't fall back asleep. I got dressed and walked outside. Konoha was just stirring awake. Some people were opening shops, sweeping the floors outside their stores. I was walking in some sort of trance. I realized I was walking to the Western Gate. It was already opened, with some bleary-eyed guards taking the place of the yawning ones. I waved to them, and they waved back.

"Where are you going, Hikari-sama?" They asked me cautiously. That's what everyone calls the children of the Hokage. It kind of pleases me and pisses me off to no end.

"Uh…a mission." I lied. Really, I had no idea why I was going out. "I'll be back tonight." I said. They nodded, and I left.

My feet took me on the path to the training ground. It was out of Konoha bounds, but no one else knew that I liked to train out of Konoha territory, out of the prying and hateful eyes of the civilians. I reached the stream and sat down, leaning up against a tree. I was wearing a watch. It read 7:46. It took me two hours to walk here. I was so tired. Too much training yesterday from the Rinnegan. I closed my eyes.

"Wake up." Someone was shaking me. I gasped, and opened my eyes. They were met by those scary coal-black ones. Ichiro. I looked at my watch. It read 12:00. These guys were punctual. My stomach growled. I looked down, embarrassed.

"Stand up." I heard the commanding voice of Sasuke order me. I stood obediently. What was going on with my body? I closed my eyes, and felt the familiar Rinnegan come into place. My eyes didn't bleed. I looked inside myself and found that my chakra was moving in an illogical pattern. Genjutsu. Most likely Sasuke's. Damn it, it happened when I made eye contact with him!

"We saw your training." Sasuke said.

"Okay." I said carefully.

"And I have decided you are joining us."

"You saw…" I began. I was about to say "Aunt Sakura," because I was thinking he may just want to get me into his ranks to kill me for lying to him, but he said something else.

"The Rinnegan." They came after Sakura left. I mentally sighed with relief.

"What about it?" I asked.

Ichiro looked indignant. "Don't you know what you can do with the Rinnegan? Gravity control, stop element techniques, interrogate people, life and death stuff, Otosan even told me you can make it rain!" A glare from Sasuke shut the little boy up.

"I haven't worked with it much." I said, deciding to bite the bullet. I looked up at them with the Rinnegan, and they flinched. "And I don't appreciate being put into a genjutsu." I snapped at Sasuke. "If you want to get me to join you, just tell me your motivations."

Sasuke looked like he was glad I asked. "The Shinobi world is corrupt and filled with war." He said. "And when someone destroys your life, you must destroy them back. That is the only way to get revenge and be at peace." Sasuke was looking at me with the longing of the power I had. I blinked, and the Rinnegan was back to my normal eyes.

"Konoha destroyed my life." Sasuke began. "They forced my brother to kill our entire family, except me, and flee the village to become a spy in the Akatsuki because our family was conspiring to destroy Konoha." Sasuke began his story with that. I knew the Akatsuki. Every child knew that name as soon as they were born, and Ken and me were told scary stories about the Akatsuki as kids to make us eat our vegetables. "They forced my brother to make me think that he was the traitor, and I killed him. I had to kill my own brother, who loved me and gave me my Mangekyo Sharingan." I had no idea what that was, so I nodded and pretended like I did.

Ichiro shifted impatiently. He was bored. I looked at Sasuke's eyes, and suddenly I saw a terrible sight- I was being forced to kill Ken because my father told me so. I fell over a tree root and stared at the man. What I saw were indescribable eyes- they were beautiful, and scary. "Otosan." Ichiro said. "I've never seen it…the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan." Some weird shit going down here.

"My brother was the sacrifice for happiness. I was the sacrifice. If the Shinobi world weren't so corrupt, then Ichiro's _mother_ would be alive as well." Sasuke pointed to his son, who looked down. But I could see his eyes shining a little too bright. Sasuke stood over me and gave me a hand. "Yet." Sasuke said. I gripped his callused fingers and stood up. We stood face-to-face, those creepy eyes staring at me. "What has the Shinobi world done for you? They cast you out, they hated you, they despised you, all because you messed up a mission." I remembered my cover story and held his gaze. But I thought- what _had_ Konoha done for me? The people feared me, hated me. They wanted me gone. And I was part of the Hyuuga clan with no Byakugan, the daughter of the Hokage with nothing special about me. My mother was too busy training Ken, and my father was too busy with the village. Even Aunt Sakura put her medical missions above seeing me. I remembered her wink as she left.

And my father was able to tame the Kyuubi for the village. He made them love him. But I couldn't do that, not with the fact that I destroyed the village, not something sealed inside me, but because I got scared. Pain of the Rinnegan destroyed the village, too. I was the bad guy.

In every retrospect, I was like my father. I was short-tempered, enthusiastic, I leapt into stuff without questions, and I never gave up on something I wanted done. But I never tried to make the people like me. I hadn't realized how necessary it was to feel loved when I noticed that I didn't have it when even my own _brother_ did.

My father was also dedicated. When he put his word into something, he put his all into it. Didn't I have that for the village?

No. I had that dedication for Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew. Long chapter. I hope you like it, guys! Thanks for all the subscriptions and story favorite-ing! Hoping to get some more. If you want me to read your story, just send me a private message or a review. I'll read your story! <strong>

**Also, the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan is a creation of Masashi Kishimoto-sama. Not me. So don't think I made it up- just go onto youtube and look for a preview of Naruto and Sasuke's final Shippuden battle!**

**Talk to you guys later, once I get into the minds of some more characters! (Any Suigetsu and Juugo fans here?)**


	7. Kabuto

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, I would be one awesome dude. **

**Thanks for the subscriptions! Please review more- I need some constructive criticism. Enjoy the chapter, guys. It's probably gonna suck, but it's necessary.**

**Thanks to Tirfarthuan and epic-failure-yea-i-know for the help. I will refine my writing so you guys get the best story possibly. **

I was sitting in a room in the Land of Sound. I had followed Sasuke and Ichiro to their secret hideout. The light had been fading when we entered a building. It led us underground, to a massive hideout where a whole army could have stayed.

The army wasn't here just now.

Ichiro told me that we _would_ have an army, but they wouldn't be coming for two months.

That means that we would be attacking someone.

So, of course, since I had the Rinnegan, I was entitled to my own room. It was bleak with stone-walls and a cot to sleep on. It was like a prison, except I could keep my door open and watch the occasional person walk by. I had one near Ichiro's. He had two friends named Mangetsu and Ko. Mangetsu was slightly older than me. He had white hair and brown eyes. His teeth were pointed and white, like a shark. His features were refined, his chin actually girly, but his grin was dangerous. He was also really hot.

Ko, on the other hand, was Ichiro's age, slim, with red hair, a small, child-like face, and clear, blue eyes. She was adventurous, and also seemed imposing and dangerous at the same time. She was probably Ichiro's best friend, since Mangetsu was a little older than them, and the obvious age difference set them apart.

All three of them were armed.

They each wore a uniform consisting of black pants, a black t-shirt with a square collar, and black ninja sandals. The boys had their hair cut short, and Ko's was a bit shorter than Aunt Sakura's

I had my door open, so the three of them came in from the hallway to talk to me.

"Hi." Ko said. Of course, Ichiro had already told me about his two friends on the way over to the hideout, since he was so excited about me going. I had to smile at his excitement. Jeez, it was cute. "My name's Ko." The girl said. Of course, I already knew that. "I'm ten. What's your name?"

"Hi, Ko." I said. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Hikari." I hated using suffixes.

"Hikari-chan, what a beautiful name." The white-haired boy said. Ichiro was smiling. He elbowed the kid in the ribs.

"Don't be a show-off, Mangetsu." Ichiro said. I could tell these kids were very close. Mangetsu laughed.

"My name's Mangetsu." He explained. I wanted to say, "Well, _duh_," but I held my tongue.

"Hikari's part of our army." Ichiro told the two. Ko crawled onto my bed, where I sat. She was as tall as me.

"You don't have a sword." She noted. "So you must have strong ninjutsu. What's your specialty?"

"I don't have one." I said. "I have the Rinnegan." Mangetsu and Ko looked taken aback. So they have heard of it.

"Yeah, and we're supposed to help you with it." I was confused, but Ichiro explained.

"Since I have the Sharingan, I can help you work on the Rinnegan for when we attack." He started. "Also, Mangetsu can't really be hurt in many ways, so he can help if you get out of control. And Ko's really good at controlling bad things." I nodded. "So we'll be helping you for the next few months while we prepare for attack."

"First off, we need a lesson plan." Mangetsu said. "Sasuke-san said that we could get one from Kabuto, who has done a lot of research on the Rinnegan." It looked like Mangetsu was the leader of the other two kids, since he was the oldest. He walked out of the room, us three following him. We walked down the dark hallway until we reached a meeting room. There, Sasuke sat across a long table across from a man shrouded in a cloak. From a normal human's tail area, however, protruded and actual _snake_. I almost gasped until I realized they were talking about me.

"Truthfully, Sasuke-kun, I would love to kill the Rinnegan girl." Kabuto said. "Using her for an Impure World Resurrection would definitely make her easier to control."

"Unfortunately, Kabuto, I do not think that is necessary." Sasuke said. "Also, it would put her under your control, and frankly, I don't trust you." I didn't really know what to think about that, but I did not like this Kabuto dude.

"Otosan." Ichiro said. Sasuke turned to look at his child. Kabuto turned as well, and I almost gasped out loud as his appearance. His face was covered in scales, with his gray hair almost blending into his silver snakeskin. His thin, slanted eyes were orange in color, shining with evil, and had purple shadows above them pointing down to his nose. His face was something that looked like a piece of art that Uncle Sai could draw.

"Kabuto." Sasuke said. The creepy man turned to Sasuke. "The list." He reminded the cloaked man. He withdrew a scroll from his cloak and handed it to Sasuke, who handed it to Ichiro. I had a sudden, fleeting moment- did Kabuto feel like a snake or a human? The thought almost made me laugh out loud, but I held it.

I followed the boys (and Ko) to a training area- a large place, underground. Mangetsu turned on a switch and I saw the entire place.

The list of jutsus for me to learn was large. It mostly included stuff for my kekkei genkai- like "Shinra Tensei", "Bansho Ten'in", a Summon called "Gedo", or "Outer Path", and "Gedo: Art of Rinne Rebirth", a soul removal technique for interrogation, and a "Blocking Technique Absorption Seal". That was just some of it. Apparently, a lot of the stuff I learned over the next few months were things that Pain knew.

So over those next few months, the three kids helped me train. They were funny kids, friendly people, and good friends.

Who would we be attacking? I wanted to ask them that, but the question remained at the tip of my tongue. I knew my place.

I was a tool to be used and not ask questions. But at least my existence was appreciated. I had friends. I got the new black uniform with a purple cloak striped with black, like the Rinnegan. My new friends loved how cool it looked.

Mangetsu, I learned, was a prankster, always up to something, but whenever he was reprimanded by one of us, he always acted superior, like it was okay for him for do something like that, but not us. His father, Suigetsu, who was always around Sasuke, was exactly like his son. But Suigetsu seemed older, wiser, and wore a purple shirt, which matched his eyes, rather than the uniform.

Ko was like her father too. Her mom was a medical nin who also lived in the hideout, and the entire family was gentle, loved animals, and kind. Ko, however, was energetic, fun, and loved jokes. I told her a lot of them I heard in Konoha, and she always laughed. Her father was very protective of his family, and he seemed to include Sasuke in it as well.

Ichiro was very silent, smiled rarely, but was always quick to help everyone else when we were all training. He wasn't so much like his father (who seemed a little off to me), and when he opened up, he would talk nonstop for hours about the most pointless things.

Two weeks before the rest of the army was expected to arrive, I was thinking about the new jutsu I would start to learn. I had learned all the rest of them in just six weeks. But I was told that this jutsu was incredibly tough, so it would probably take a longer time to master. I was lying awake in my bed. The others were all asleep. Except one person. He opened the door and stared at me, hovering over my bed. I was pretending to sleep. I wonder how obvious it was to Kabuto that I wasn't.

"I would love to have your power right now." Kabuto whispered. So apparently he knew I was lying on my side, eyes wide open. What he didn't know was that I was staring at the wall, deciding what way to defend myself if he so much as touched me. "I could test on you, find the Rinnegan's power limit. I could kill you and then control you. You would still be in this world…but Sasuke would kill me if I do…so I guess I'll have to leave you for now." I lay silent, terrified. This is the most I have heard Kabuto say. In the last six weeks I've seen a bit of him, but I didn't hear him say a word. "But as soon as Sasuke dies…that's when I'll test on you. I could find out so much about the Rinnegan…" And he drifted out.

_Holy shit_, I thought. My heart was pounding, tears streaming down my face in my fear. _Holy shit_.

I didn't go to sleep that night.

**Okay, my chapters are getting longer. I hope you guys are still enjoying! Please review and subscribe if you do. I'm having a lot of fun writing this, and I'll make sure to work on it as much as I can. It's not going to be a long story (I hope). Thanks! **


	8. Ko

**Disclaimer: I don't fucking own Naruto. I never owned it, never will own it, blah, blah, blah. It's really annoying to keep on writing that, but I don't want my story to get taken down. That would suck ass.**

**Also, since that flamer Travis9000 isn't going to read to here, I just want to say: "Flamers suck. For free." OH. Okay, sorry, back to the story!**

I was cleaning my face for what seemed like the fifteenth time in one week. Because of my overuse of chakra and the Rinnegan, I kept on bleeding- out of my mouth, my eyes, my nose, even my ears. I would cough up blood, or my eyes would start to cry blood as soon as I activated the Rinnegan, or the nosebleeds would just randomly start. Even though I kept on getting tired, my chakra level grew enormously and the control over my dojutsu also increased dramatically. I could feel myself getting stronger and stronger. Sasuke told me it was because of my Rinnegan. He was right. None of the others progressed as well as I did under their careful instruction.

And the three of them- Mangetsu, Ichiro, and Ko- were really good instructors. They didn't have to be patient, since I got stuff right away when my Rinnegan was activated. They didn't need to be mean, and whatever was written on the sheet was gave them specific instructions on how to do the jutsus that I learned.

Basically, it was just the name of the jutsu, the hand signs, and if the jutsu didn't have any, then either Mangetsu, Ichiro, or Ko read off the sheet what to focus on, or what you do with the jutsu. Gedo was the hardest to do. I had to read it off the sheet itself because Ko was so horrified by Kabuto's description that she was sick in the corner. There was also giving back life, but it was basically the same jutsu, just different words.

I read what to do. I Summoned the dude, screamed, and he disappeared. I stared in horror. The guy was...a seven-foot-tall head with a black top and white bottom, with a collar and zipper and Rinnegan eyes. Poor Ko had to leave the room crying, comforted by Ichiro, who brought her to her father, while Mangetsu wasn't even smiling. He was staring in shock until he said, "Cool."

I was so pissed off at his thinking that this kind of thing was cool. Mangetsu couldn't find his underwear for three days.

The last jutsu, Chibaku Tensei, was the reason I had been bleeding off and on for the past week. The others were used to me taking breaks to wipe my face, and I've become used to eating nothing but iron-rich foods because of the amount of iron leaving my system. My blood was never redder, I noticed.

I was overworked, but it was fun to finally have friends.

Every night, those people who live in the compound sit down and actually have dinner- except for Kabuto. Ichiro once whispered to me that he was an introvert and I laughed out loud at the dinner table. What little conversation there was immediately stopped to stare at me. I looked around, embarrassed, and ate my food.

The night before the army was scheduled to arrive, the group sat down in the cavernous room at the long table that Sasuke and Kabuto had used for their meeting. The table consisted of a small bunch: Sasuke, Ichiro, Suigetsu, Mangetsu, Juugo, Ko, and Ko's mother, a short, kind brown-haired woman with her daughter's eyes and a smile that made her eyes crinkle. She wore the army uniform: the same black pants, but instead of the black shirt us children wore, she wore the standard adult wear: a chain mail shirt with a thick, black vest over it. Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Juugo wore it as well, except their vests had less padding up front and more on the shoulders. Sasuke's vest had the Uchiha clan crest on the back, and Suigetsu's had the Hozuki clan crest on his.

We ate in silence. When the food was cleared away. Sasuke, who sat at the head of the table, Suigetsu and Juugo at both of his sides, spoke.

"My army is arriving tomorrow at this compound from all different corners of the Shinobi World. They have traveled far to get here, and they are united because of one common goal: to destroy the Five Great Shinobi Nations." The entire table was silent. "We have formed an attack plan and it will be explained eight days from today, on the day we attack the first Great Village: Konohagakure."

I could barely compose myself in time. I felt I was choking on my own spit. How could I not see this coming? How could I not see that we would attack Konoha first, since we were so close to it? And what would I do? Luckily, the others didn't sense anything off- they were too busy looking at Sasuke. "Will we be fighting?" Ko asked.

"I will." Mangetsu answered. Suigetsu nodded in approval.

"And I'm giving you one of the Seven Swords to use." Suigetsu smiled, half-proud, half-mischievous. He had spent most of his life collecting the swords of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He already had five, and just needed Samehada and Hiramekarei- at least, that's what Mangetsu said.

Mangetsu matched his father in the crooked smile. "I'll take Kiba, then."

"This is no time to be talking about swords." Sasuke said. "I have decided that Ichiro and Ko will fight in Konoha." Ko shrieked in excitement.

"I'll finally get to show my real power!" She exclaimed in mirth. "I've been waiting for this day for _forever_!" I didn't know what kind of power she had, but I heard she got it from her father, and it was incredibly intense and hard to deal with- and it was amazing that Ko had mastered it at such a young age.

But it was her young age that came into factor…would she be okay on the battlefield? Would it destroy her innocence at such a young age? Since she was so young, would she be too inexperienced to survive? The rest of us had seen battle, except for Ichiro, so of course, his safety came into factor as well. Ko's mom looked a bit skeptical about her daughter, but she knew the benefits outweighed the risks. Just like Ko and Ichiro.

"But what about Hikari?" Ichiro asked. Wow, kid. Even I ask stupid questions, but…wow.

I nodded. "I have the Rinnegan. So…of course I'll be fighting." I glared at him.

No one spoke. Slowly, bit by bit, the different groups got up and drifted away from the table. The Uchihas, the Hozukis, Juugo's family, until I was the only one at the table.

When I heard the last footsteps echo away, I sat at the table and cried.

**Okay, so that chapter kinda sucked. But next time we're heading back to Konoha…so…eheh. Hehe. Haha. *****evil cackle*.**


	9. Sentry

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I like potatoes. And turtles. And…presto! The beginning of the final part of my story starts…NOW.**

The army arrived as scheduled. The day the army was getting familiar with each other, the plans for attack would be announced. Sasuke brought me into a room and called Juugo. The room looked like my bedroom- no windows, electric lighting, but with two doors instead of one. Juugo came in the second door dragging a half-dead man.

I recognized his face.

I didn't know his name, but he wore his Konoha forehead protector the common way- the way my dad does, on his forehead. He was one of the Shinobi who guarded the borders of Konoha. When Dad had taken me with him to check on the borders of our village, we met the man I now saw half-dead. He was one of the leaders of the squads that regularly ran the border patrols. I don't remember him going missing. For some weird reason, I was remembering Sakura's wink. I also recalled her leaving to tend to some Shinobi who were attacked.

"You're going to get the secrets of the Konoha border patrols from this man."

"Why don't you try first?" I said, implying for him to use his genjutsu. Or torture. Anything other than what he wanted me to do.

"I have." Sasuke said. "He said that he wouldn't give up Konoha's secrets." That sounded like my comrades. But how could they do that, with the knowledge that they would die?

After two months of deliberate calling up the Rinnegan, it shifted into place as easily as a person could brush their teeth. I closed my eyes. Since this was the first time doing this, I felt nervous.

I took a deep breath, and laid my hand as gently as possible onto the man's head. I could feel the chakra in his brain. I leaked some of mine there to find out our situation. Once I gathered the information, I pulled my hand off his head. I had hoped that this wouldn't happen, but his chakra stuck like glue to mine. I pulled, trying to get my hand away, since he was in slight pain. His soul disappeared, and the corpse folded upon itself. I felt as if his soul was still attached to my hand, and I felt dirty and revolting. I had just killed a man.

I tried to hold in my self-disgust. I had killed people before, but when I was in a rage in my Rinnegan. I didn't remember. Or people I didn't know, or my enemies. Not friends.

"Well?" Sasuke asked impatiently. Juugo was leaning on the table in the room. I had just noticed it.

I stared into Sasuke's eyes. His Sharingan was out, and I was instantly comforted by his power that he had over me. "The border patrol dispatches every twenty minutes. It takes fifteen minutes to run one eighth of the border of Konoha, and that's what each of the eight sentry points does. Each sentry point corresponds to North, West, East, South, northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. The intervals between border checks correspond with the hour." That was all they needed to know, because Sasuke immediately started discussing plans with Juugo and dismissed me, asking to call Suigetsu for him. I located him flirting with one of the army's kunoichi, and I looked over to see Mangetsu copying his dad. Once I talked to Suigetsu, I went over to his son and slapped the idiot upside the head.

I saw Ichiro and his two-year-old sister playing a game. His sister did not seem to understand that her brother probably wouldn't be the same after tomorrow. Of course, she was also so young, and a very cute child, with brown hair and her father's black eyes, his facial features, and thin build.

I saw Ko and her family embrace, realizing that one of them might not be there in two days. Ko kissed the top of her four-year-old brother's head. It was an oddly peaceful sight, and made me miss Ken so much my heart ached.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I had just gotten to the bathroom before I started to dry heave, and then I puked for all it was worth. _I'm a terrible person,_ I thought, _If I could even be called a person. Or a Shinobi_. _My parents…they hadn't raised me to be like this._

The next day, when I was feeling better about myself, the plan was explained: The ambush team (which had yours truly, and friends) would sneak past the north and northwest borders on the hour. We destroy the North Gate and create a diversion. At the same time, our parents (and other assassins) would pick off the sentry posts from the South going up, like a clock. Then we attack from the North Gate, and also all sides. Attack, and destroy. I didn't like the sound of that, and it took all my willpower to stop myself from flinching. Everyone cheered. Did they feel no compassion for the people they would kill today?

We left in the teams- the ambush squad, led by Mangetsu, followed by me, Ichiro, and Ko. Today I wasn't wearing my beautiful purple cloak, but the black cloak with red fringe that was the army uniform for us. All the under-age kids, including us, got the standard wear for the army right underneath. I had my kunai, my shuriken, all the tools I needed. Mangetsu had Kiba, Ko's skin was leaking a black pattern of vines all over her face and hands, and Ichiro's Sharingan was out.

The assassin squad consisted of Sasuke, Juugo, his wife, Suigetsu, and a couple of other men and women from the smaller villages chosen based on their ability to kill quickly and silently.

After the sentries are killed, the ambush and assassin squads join the main army in the attack.

We were the last to leave the hideout.

I slid the kunai and shuriken into the holster I had on the back right of my pants, as normal Konoha Shinobi do. I slid two kunai up the long sleeves on my army chain mail shirt. I shrugged on my black vest, and donned my cloak. I took a good long look at my room, and left. I had a feeling that this would be the final time that I walk these halls. I joined Mangetsu, Ichiro, and Ko, and we stepped into daylight for the first time in months. I blinked at the harsh morning sun, temporarily blinded by the light. I forgot how long I hadn't seen the sun, and I saw that my skin was paler, like ivory, and I was taller than Ichiro. My hair was longer and slightly darker. It was a dark, rich red, and down to my diaphragm. I tucked it back into my cloak and slid the hood on.

I was the first to slide my hood on. Mangetsu, Ko, and Ichiro slid their hoods on as well and we set off. We flew through the forest at top speed. We were in a diamond position: Mangetsu, the oldest and the leader, in the front, Ichiro slightly behind his right foot, me slightly behind his left food, and Ko close behind Mangetsu. It was about five thirty in the morning, and the sun was rising, casting brilliant colors across the trees and sky. I looked at my friends' faces. I could see the wonder of the spectacle in their eyes. Their faces were orange with the streaks of light from the sun. Ichiro was serious, but Mangetsu and Ko were awed and excited by our upcoming project.

After a while, the sun's magic began to fade. It was about six or six thirty in the morning. We were approaching the barrier. The other three had never been to Konoha, so of course they didn't know where it was, but thanks to my Rinnegan and Ichiro's Sharingan, we saw the dome-barrier of Konoha a mile before we were at the sentry points.

We were close. I nodded at Mangetsu, and he signaled for us to stop. We halted in a line on a tree branch. "We're close to the dome that protects Konoha." Ichiro explained. "It detects people who are not native to Konoha, but if they are in a group with non-natives, the group isn't attacked or seen as a threat." Ichiro explained. Of course, I already knew that, but had to pretend like I didn't.

"The sentries are stationed right outside of the border." I said. "If we attack the North Gate as soon as the others do, then we won't have to worry about detection." I said. "Let's go."

We took off. We were a little too close to the North sentry point, so we moved slightly west. The sentries probably should have been killed by now, and this was just a precaution.

But someone was still alive. And they were making an irregular round towards the Northwest sentry post. I could sense him coming. "Hide!" I said. The four of use immediately dropped into the underbrush of the forest and hid among the bushes.

"Shit." Mangetsu muttered next to me. "Would this be all for nothing? Is the plan gonna fail-

"Shut up." I whispered. "You're gonna ruin our mission." I said. It was effective. He didn't speak for those hushed, stressful minutes.

The sentry past us by, singing softly to himself. My heart was pounding in my throat. I could hear Mangetsu breathing beside me, and I placed my hand over his mouth, my eyes locked on the sentry. "It's so very easy for youth to forgive everything." He sang in a quiet voice. "I called in the rescue squad, so please kiss me, please kiss me, all night…" He leapt from tree to the next tree, his forehead protector gleaming and his flak jacket new and crisp on his shoulders. A newly promoted Chunin. Wow- getting a little sloppy, kid, are we?

He was gone after five minutes, his voice fading away. We all breathed a sigh of relief, jumped up onto the branches, and resumed our attack.

Apparently it wasn't even seven in the morning yet, because that's when the North Gate opens. We stood in front of it, and I felt an odd sense of homecoming.

"Kirigakure no Jutsu!" Mangetsu said. Immediately, there was a mist created by chakra all around the Gate. The sky started to darken, and Mangetsu withdrew the Kiba swords. He held them together in an X. There was lightning, and it crackled above our heads, and down suddenly to Mangetsu's swords. He directed it at the Gate, and it exploded in a blast and the crumble of smoking wood. "What's going on?" Screamed a Gate sentry. I was as surprised as he was. I didn't expect it to be so _loud_. The flames crackled on the wooden gates, and they didn't let us pass. I formed the seals as fast as I could, since Water techniques always took such a long time to do.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu." I said. The Great Waterfall Technique crashed out of nowhere, and put out the fire. The four of us leapt up and ran on the water and jumped up to the houses. We had a beautiful view of Konoha, but my hometown was in chaos.

The attack had begun.

**Whew! Long chapter. Not my longest one so far, since the next one is even longer (sorry). It was a bit boring, but I'm hoping to make it better. **

**My dad is watching Naruto right now, but it's difficult for him to remember names. It's so funny, because he's up to the episode when Tsunade gets inaugurated as Hokage. My dad: "Tsunayaih gets inaugurated as the Hofaye…" Love him.**


	10. Hinata

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Also, my battle scenes are probably not the best, so please tell me what I need to improve on. **

**Everyone, thank you for all the reviews! I hope I do you justice. Enjoy!**

The four of us ran through the gate into the middle of the street. It was chaos. There were many civilians screaming and running away from the North Gate. Mangetsu was laughing and Ko was screaming with excitement, her powerful chakra already being used to destroy buildings. I heard a couple of people running behind us, and I sprung out my right kunai from the long sleeves on my chainmail shirt, expecting an attack.

It was Sasuke, Suigetsu, Juugo, Ko's mother, and the rest of the assassins. Those who had swords had them out All of them were bloody. Suigetsu was wielding the Decapitating Carving Knife and grinning evilly, as if the sword were his life-long murderous, sadistic friend. Which it basically was. Mangetsu told me that his father had Decapitating Carving Knife since he was sixteen.

"They're all taken care of." Sasuke said. "Now, kill all of the people. Everyone from Konoha I want to see lying on the ground screaming in pain! These are the people who laugh when you are suffering!" He was followed by many angry ninja from the smaller villages who were motivated by his words.

Without question, we had to do what we were ordered. I stared at Ichiro, to see what he thought about his father. I could tell by his facial expression that he knew his father was insane. It was a sad thing, but he knew his father was right.

Even though I had my regrets, these people who I followed were the only ones who every paid attention to me. Of course I would fight for them.

We ran through the streets, finding all the Shinobi and taking them down. I didn't actually kill anyone- I just "aimed" for their vital points and hit a place close to it that would mean that the people would survive. I just couldn't kill the people who I had grown up with. It was stressful and mind-boggling enough to be forced to do it, but to actually be with it face-to-face, just filled me up with self-loathing.

I felt like two different people. I loved my new life…but I couldn't escape from the old.

"Die!" Shouted a Jonin with a three foot long katana, huge muscles, and a square head. He slashed down, aiming for my skull, but I dipped under his attack and stabbed into his rib cage. It was a shallow wound, but down he went. I kicked him where it hurts so he would stay down.

Sasuke was on a roof, screaming to see the Hokage face-to-face. I cursed silently. I did _not_ want to see my father.

I saw Mangetsu clashing with Kurenai-san. Her daughter, a strong Jonin, was fighting with a ninja from Otogakure, I think. I saw Mangetsu fall under Kurenai-san's genjutsu and I darted to slap him awake.

Mangetsu was about to get revenge on her when I unleashed my Rinnegan and I screamed, "Behind me!" Mangetsu, Ichiro, and Ko ran behind me, and I said, "Shinra Tensei." Kurenai-san and her daughter flew far back. Buildings and Konoha Shinobi zoomed far outwards, and crashed in puffs of smoke. Bodies flew through the air like the dolls I used to play with. Mangetsu, Ko, and Ichiro were fine, since they held onto me and I focused the center of gravity to us.

"Wow!" Ko shouted. She pulled off her cloak and let the black tattooed vines crawl all over her body. They covered her skin and faded into a gray. She crouched over, her kind eyes turning black and mean, the whites of her eyes dulling to a gray. Her short hair grew out longer and more spiked, her arms and legs increased in size and her teeth grew into fangs. She laughed maniacally. Her chakra level, I noticed, increased hundredfold. She was laughing "Let's go!" She shouted, her voice not even the same. We ran forward. Shinobi kept coming, and Ko blew them down with her massive hands and claws. She wasn't laughing now- her face was a mask of stony-faced apathy.

She attacked the closest Shinobi and he went down like a brick, his throat slashed. More and more ninja leapt at her, trying to destroy her. But Ko had unleashed her power, and wasn't stopping. She clawed and killed and swatted at every one of my former fellow villagers like flies- even ones who weren't ninja.

Mangetsu's Kiba swords were acting like lightening rods- they were attracting streaks of blue that Mangetsu sent toward his opponents- instant Konoha fries. Ichiro was focusing on one man after the other- he would place them under a quick genjutsu, or attack with a fire technique.

I knew many severe attacks, but I didn't use them for fear of killing people or giving myself away- Chidori, Rasengan, even its more complete, wind-natured counterparts.

Ram. Horse. Dragon. "Doton: Doryuudan!" I screamed. The ground next to me grew a dragon-head and lifted its mouth open with a thick glopping sound. It fired mud bullets at approaching Shinobi. I saw all my parents' friends fighting for their village- Uncle Sai, Shino, Uncle Neji, Choji, and Tenten. I was already thinking: if Choji was here, then Shikamaru wasn't far behind. We had to watch our feet. Just as I looked down, I noticed a snake of a shadow wind toward Mangetsu's feet. "Mangetsu, jump!" I shrieked at him. He was confused, but he jumped up as high as he could.

"Kage Nui no Jutsu." I heard the familiar voice drawl out. The shadows crept up through the air and gripped Mangetsu, so it was as if he was tied up in ropes. I turned to find Shikamaru and held out my hand. He went blasting back with the technique. I looked over to see Choji's eyes grew wide. He was the only one standing up, because his armor defended him from the mud.

"I haven't seen that jutsu in twenty years." He said, drawing a shaky breath. He meant my jutsu, obviously.

"Ichiro." I said. "Combination." He nodded coolly. Ichiro formed the seals- Horse, Tiger, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger again. I clapped my hands together.

"Katon: Gokakya no Jutsu!"

"Fuuton: Repuusho!"

The fire technique exploded out of Ichiro's mouth. My strong winds only enhanced his technique further. The area of the village where we were went up in flames and smoke. Everyone was blasted back by the force of it, or were caught by the flames, except for Ichiro and I. I saw Uncle Sai trying to put out a fire that had started on his shirt sleeve, and Tenten was stomping on her scroll, which had been partially consumed by the flames. I knew she had a few more scrolls up her sleeves- literally.

I turned to Ko and Mangetsu, who had fallen far back. Ko's hair was on fire. "Get up." Ichiro said. His Sharingan was blazing.

"Juuken!" I heard a man and a woman shout.

"Shit." I cursed. Two ninjas went flying through the air towards us. I recognized both of them. And they were heading right towards Ichiro and me.

"Duck!" He shouted. But it was too late. Both of us were hit by Juuken right to the stomach. I gasped, and I bit my tongue in surprise. My mouth bled. I fell to the ground and I saw Ichiro get pushed back further. He coughed up blood. I looked up.

My mother was looking down at me. Thankfully, my hood hadn't fallen back yet, so my mom couldn't tell it was me. She looked so tired- more tired then I had ever seen her. I wonder why.

Neji was standing over Ichiro. His hood had fallen back, revealing his scared face, even though his Sharingan was showing. "Don't even try that genjutsu on me." Uncle Neji said in his commanding voice.

I wanted to stand up and hug my mother. The strength of that need was so powerful it brought tears to my eyes. I hadn't realized how much I missed my mother since I left. I was paralyzed. I couldn't speak. I was sad, missing my mom, and scared of her reaction upon seeing me at the same time.

Suigetsu and Juugo leapt out of nowhere and started to battle the Juuken users. My mother was a gentle person, but she was a deadly fighter. Her eyes blazed and the veins on her temples stood out powerfully. She looked angry enough to kill. Behind her was my brother. And what I saw on his forehead nearly made my have a heart attack.

My brother had become a Shinobi.

Ken looked older- well, then again, he _had _turned ten when I was gone- but his Byakugan looked stronger, he had more chakra pulsing through his body. The reserve and uncertainty that reminded me so much of Mom had disappeared behind a mask of confidence. He just looked…stronger.

I felt so guilty for leaving him.

"Go to Sasuke!" Suigetsu shouted. "You're under his command personally now!"

"Otosan is too powerful to die!" Ichiro complained.

"Nonetheless." Juugo said. "It's our orders. You're switching to his group now. Go!" Mangetsu helped Ko up, who grimaced in pain.

We were attacked by Shinobi. Mangetsu parried with one sword-user and Ko ran off his back with a flip to break another man's shoulders. Mangetsu stabbed his opponent and Ichiro placed the third guy under a genjutsu of sleep while I roundhouse kicked the final guy in the temple. He went down like a sack of potatoes.

We ran up the boulders of destroyed buildings to look for Ichiro's father.

He was running to the Hokage Monument, avoiding crumbling buildings, and killing whoever ran at him.

"I am going to kill the Hokage with my own hands." He screamed when we finally caught up with him. He turned to face us, and then realized we were on his side. "Put up your hood, Ichiro." Sasuke said. Ichiro put up. Always the perfectionists.

We followed him to the Hokage Monument and stood under the beautiful stone heads of the Hokages- Shodai, Nidaime, Sandaime, Yondaime, Godaime, and Rokudaime.

"We're being followed." Mangetsu said.

We were, indeed, being followed. I stopped and turned around. It was my mom, Ken, and a Jonin ninja.

"An old face." Sasuke said. I turned around to see that the others had stopped as well.

"Hinata." Said Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun." All reserve that my mom held in her voice was gone. Her words dripped with a disgust I had never heard my mom use before. It contrasted oddly with her gentle demeanor. "You're finally back." How did my mom know Sasuke? Ken had caught up with Mom and stood behind her, his Byakugan out in full force with a confused expression on his face.

"Since you're an old face," Sasuke said, "I think I'll give you a good final ending." Sasuke formed the seals Ox, Rabbit, Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Bird, Ox, Snake, Dog, Tiger, and Monkey again. He held his wrist and a Chidori formed. He drew his hand back and ran for my mother. I started to freak out.

I held my hands up, focusing on sucking in the Lightening chakra, knowing I would give myself away immediately as a traitor to my leader. But I didn't care. I didn't want my mom to die.

But suddenly, Sasuke flew to the side. His Chidori disappeared with my technique, but it could have been seen that it had been disrupted.

Sasuke had fallen off the roof. He appeared again behind the four of us, and my father stood ahead of us, guarding Hinata and Ken. I flashed back as quick as I could and sent a signal to Mangetsu, Ko, and Ichiro so the five of us invaders stood in a line.

I looked at Sasuke. He was okay, but his stony faced showed confusion.

"Hokage-sama!" The Jonin ninja cried. Sasuke threw a shuriken at the man faster than I could blink. The man was thrown off the roof, the shuriken in his throat.

"Uzumaki…Naruto." Sasuke said. "I see you've become the Hokage." My father was wearing his red cloak with the black flames at the bottom fringe. It was obvious how important he was. I started to tremble. I tried to hide it, but it was inevitable: I was so much like my dad, but...okay, I admit it. I'm really scared of my parents. They're both so strong and formidable.

"Sasuke." My dad growled.

Hinata turned to the side, suddenly distracted. I looked as well. Aunt Sakura ran up the wall to join my Chichi. The expression on her face was betrayed, angry, and surprised. "Sasuke…kun." She whispered.

Sasuke was still focused on the Rokudaime. "I thought I killed you." He growled.

What the _fuck_?

***Sigh* The chapters are getting longer! I hope they're not too long. Okay, next time- is the climax! Not a "that's what she said!" climax, but a Naruto-gasm! LOL not really but you know what I mean…**


	11. My Father's Enemy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**So, anyway. Naruto is Dad/Chichi. Hinata is Mom/Okachan. Just go with both of the names. Okay. This is going to be a tough chapter. Here we go. It's a bit short...but enjoy.**

My dad looked as old and tired as my mom had. It was obvious he had changed since I had seen him last, two months ago.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Ichiro, my voice shaking. Everyone was standing still, as if they were made of stone. The eyes that Sasuke and Naruto glared at each other, however, were way too intense for stone. Ichiro shrugged.

"You finally came back." Dad said. He was grinding his teeth- a habit he and I always did when we were angry.

Kabuto leapt up onto the roof behind us. He stood behind Ko and Mangetsu. Dad's attention went to him. "Kabuto." He said. His voice was barely recognizable.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Kabuto said in his charming, creepy voice.

I looked at my mother. Her focus traded from Dad, to Sasuke, to Kabuto. I looked at Sakura. She only had eyes for Sasuke. Interesting. I established something in my mind- Dad, Mom and Aunt Sakura knew Sasuke somehow, and Dad knew Kabuto as well.

I looked at Ken. He was as confused as I was.

"Well isn't this pleasant?" Kabuto chimed. It was so strange I almost laughed out loud. I leaned down the line to look at Ko and Mangetsu. Ko was back to normal, her head turned almost all the way around to Kabuto, and Mangetsu's hood was down, his swords resting at his sides, crackling with energy.

Ken strode up to Dad and stood by his side. "Otosan, what's going on?" Ken asked.

Sasuke chuckled. "You and Hinata have a kid…how cute." He snarled. He stepped forward and waved his hand back to us. "Get back, all of you," He said, turning to us, "You'll only get in the way."

Ichiro was confused. "But, Otosan-"

"Follow my orders." Sasuke said to his son. In defiance, Ichiro pulled down his hood, his face aligned with childish disappointment. His dark eyes were huge in his annoyance with his dad, and his hair, messed up by the hood of the cloak, looked exactly like his fathers' did. His bottom lip stuck out. He was pouting.

"He looks exactly like you, Sasuke." Sakura said. I don't even think she meant it to be a compliment.

I went up to Ichiro and bent to whisper in his ear. Only then did I realize how much I had grown. I was finally taller than the eleven-year-old. Yes! I murmured to him, "Let your father be. He somehow knows the Hokage, and his wife, and Sakura somehow…" Ichiro turned to face me.

"How do you know her name?" He whispered back. Shit. What would I say? Good thing Ichiro couldn't see my face go red. While I distracted him, the five of us moved to the next building roof, while Sasuke was getting charged up. Ken followed us, knowing he wasn't strong enough to stay with the more powerful adults. Smart…but outnumbered.

"She's…uh, very famous." I said. Of course she would be famous- she was trained by a Hokage who was one of the legendary Sannin. "You haven't heard of Haruno Sakura?" Ichiro shook his head. Then again, he'd been living under different rocks for probably his whole life. Go figure. I sighed shakily, my face saved.

I turned to face Ken, my Rinnegan out. He stared at me and gasped. I knew he couldn't see my face, but he could see my eyes. Ken turned to face the adults.

"Okasama!" Ken shouted. Mom turned to him.

"Not now, Ken." Dad said.

Ken pointed at me. "That one's a Rinnegan user!" I wasn't sure if Okachan or Ken could recognize my chakra with their Byakugan- it had changed too much. But they did try. I had a feeling they were looking for any smidge of proof that I was their family member. It made me sad.

Mom shook her head and returned to facing Sasuke. I nudged Ichiro's arm with my elbow. "You're dad's gonna need some help." I said. We turned to Mangetsu and Ko. They nodded. Ichiro nodded back. We leapt onto the roof, me on Sasuke's left and Ichiro on Sasuke's right. "You're outnumbered." Was the only thing I murmured to him.

Ox, Rabbit, Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Bird, Ox, Snake, Dog, Tiger, Monkey. Sasuke's hands flew so fast I could barely see them. But with the Rinnegan, I was able to. I knew what he was going to do when he held his hand and the lightening appeared in his palm.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Shit…I forgot about Dad. I didn't know what he would do…he was as unpredictable as I was.

_But at least he wouldn't disappear suddenly like I did_, said my conscious sullenly.

The Kage Bunshins appeared to see my chichi's outstretched hand and began fluttering their hands over it while my father released chakra. I could see Rasengan forming. One of the Kage Bunshins held his hands to the Rasengan, adding Wind chakra as it formed. I didn't know what would happen if the two clashed, and I didn't want to know.

"Stop it, Naruto!" Sakura demanded, half-screaming. Okachan put a hand on my dad's shoulder, but he didn't stop. He was in his own world now. The Kage Bunshins disappeared and Dad ran forward. Sasuke advanced as well. I saw everything as if it was in slow motion. Then it connected: lightening is weak against wind. I was scared that my master Sasuke would fall prey to my father's insane powers.

I ran as fast as I could to stop the attack. "Otosan, stop!" I heard Ichiro cry. Chichi was baring his teeth, and Sasuke was snarling. They both looked…feral. I felt I was running in slow motion. I pushed as much chakra as I could in my feet, and I burst forth. I could see through my Rinnegan that my dad was using the Kyuubi's chakra for speed. I was screaming, everything moved slowly, so slowly.

I leapt forward, using the Rinnegan to claim the two jutsus' chakra, and they disappeared. But the two couldn't stop, because their momentum was too powerful. I twisted to dodge out of the way, but the motion was too late. Their palms went smashing into my rib cage. I could hear my own ribs cracking. The sound shocked me so much that I bit my tongue in surprise. My sides were numb. I couldn't feel anything. Suddenly, though, I coughed in surprise. I saw blood fly from my mouth. _Crap_. I thought. _My ribs pierced my lung._ I staggered forward.

"NO!" I heard Ichiro scream. I felt like I was going to faint, but I felt my ribs and readjusted them as quickly as I could.

"That…was stupid." I whispered as loud as I could. It felt like my lungs weren't working. "You could have killed each other." I chuckled. I could hear Ko screaming, "I'm getting my mom!" I was wondering why she would go get her mother- and then I remembered that her mom was a medical nin. Whoops. I felt like I could float, but my feet were grounded. It was so hard to breathe.

I could feel myself getting picked up by someone really strong. I could only see their back and it registered briefly in my mind that it was Sasuke who held me in a fireman pose. I was thrown down on the ground and I could feel what air was left whoosh out of my body. The sky was dancing.

Punctured lung, anyone?

**Okay, so I'm gonna focus more on climactic stuff next- just had to get that move in there, even though there were repercussions- but hey, every story's gotta have a mortal main character, right?**


	12. Thieves

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Here are a couple of replies to my awesome readers:**

**DarkendMoon: Okay, so Sasuke thought he killed Naruto. And you have to wait and see who's side Hikari's going to be on!**

**Charm Caster-chan: Thanks so much! Also, the writing's kind of supposed to be a bit choppy, because I was aiming for Hikari's thought process rather than actual description. But I'll try to clean it up a bit. **

**I'm going to be out of town for a couple of days, so I'll give you guys a nice long chapter. I'm bringing my computer, though, so I will be writing. Now...let the story continue!**

Next thing I knew, I was on the ground. Ichiro was crouched next to me, focused on something beyond my feet. I heard metal clashing over and other. I realized that Sasuke and Chichi must be fighting. The next thing I noticed was that I felt so much better. I looked up, and saw Ko's mother, her eyes full of concern and her hands surrounded in a glowing green shroud, suspended over my ribs. They didn't feel broken anymore.

"Good, you're up." Ko's mom said softly. Her voice reminded of my okachan's gentle one. "You're not fully healed, so don't try anything stupid. I don't think you should fight, since your lungs are still bruised, and your ribs are not that strong just yet." I struggled to stand up. Breathing was so much easier now that my ribs and my lungs were healed…and I wasn't bleeding internally.

Immediately I could see Sakura trying to get into the fight my dad was having with Sasuke. I knew how powerful my dad was, and I realized that it would mean the army's downfall and Sasuke's death if she intervened. Ichiro would be destroyed.

"Byakugan." I heard my mother say. She was staring at me with all her might. I was sure she could recognize my chakra, but there was no sign on her face saying so. Suddenly her Byakugan calmed down, but her eyes were as wide as moons. She murmured something, and I read her lips.

"Genjustu." Shit. I hadn't looked at myself with the Rinnegan since that time with Ichiro and Sasuke two months ago. I hadn't realized Sasuke would still try manipulating me with his genjutsu. I was never a genjustu type.

Sasuke, you have some explaining to do.

But anyway, I was still under his genjutsu- _M__aybe I just still followed Sasuke out of my own personal devotion, rather than the one he placed on me, _I thought hopefully.

_Yes…that's true_, my consciousness told me. _They left you, they hated you, because of the power that you were born with, and because you couldn't help but destroy._

But the other side of my consciousness rebelled. _Those people staring__ never bothered you before, much. That hatred is probably Sasuke's genjutsu as well. Don't trust him._

It still forced that day into my mind.

I was walking home from classes. I was only seven years old, and I had just started going to the Academy. I was excited, I was doing well, my parents were so proud, and I wasn't thinking about much else. I wasn't even thinking about the large men who had been following me for the past few streets until I noticed the fact that I had taken a wrong turn home and ended up surrounded in a dark alleyway.

One of the thieves held a kunai to my throat. "Give us yer money, kid." He growled, his voice vibrating in his throat. He was big and muscular, bald, with small eyes and a scar on his right cheek. He was only wearing pants and a white T-shirt with chains wrapped around like a sash.

I was so frightened. But my dad told me not to be afraid of anything, so I stood still and stared at the men with my bright blue gaze. "I don't have any money." I told them sternly.

The second guy slapped me. I heard the crack of my cheekbone, and I fell to the ground, hurting. "Why're ya walking around wiv' no money, then?" The second guy asked, his voice slightly higher than Kunai Guy, mocking, and enjoying himself. "Your parents mus' be idiots, then!" The Asshole Kid cackled, a laugh that couldn't be called sane. "All parents give their kids money for somethin'!" The second man had long muddy brown hair, a thin face and build, and wore a cap with his jeans-and-shirt ensemble.

The last guy's voice rasped like a cat with a cold. He was medium, with black hair, a selfish grin and wearing all black. "Guess we'll just have to take some of your stuff, then." He snarled. All I had was my little backpack, filled with my dad's shuriken and kunai. If his stuff got stolen…he would never forgive me. I remember wishing so hard that I could use those weapons. But I was too young.

"No!" I screamed. There was no one else around to hear me. "You aren't taking my Chichi's stuff!"

"Little lady, c'mon." Hissed Cat Man. Kunai Guy kicked me in the shin. I threw my pack around my front so I could wrap my arms around it.

"Stop it!" I shouted. The guys started to kick me, their dirty fingers scrambling for the pack that refused to open. The zipper was stored safely under my now-bleeding hands.

One of the guys kicked me in the face, breaking my nose, and again in my brow. Another one kicked me right where my heart is, and I felt it tremor wildly. I couldn't see anything for blood dripping down my face into my eyes and hair. It clicked in my mind that these guys were going to kill me.

"Stop it, please!" I begged. "Daddy, help me!" I remember screaming, my heart fluttering wildly, and I felt it stop for a beat, then continue. I bit my tongue. I was so scared. "Please stop!"

And then I blacked out.

What I remembered next was waking up in my dad's arms as he hugged me. Past him I saw three burnt corpses being taken away. The alleyway was no more. Half of the buildings in the neighborhood were destroyed. I didn't remember any of it, and it took me a day to recover, and a week for my mother to say that I was mentally stable enough to continue with school. Ken was too young to remember anything- after all, he was only three.

Still, after that incident, everyone always stared at me with hatred and fear. I didn't really start caring until I was old enough to realize why. I thought it was because I was the Hokage's daughter, the princess, but nooooo. It wasn't that. It was the Rinnegan. It was always the goddamn Rinnegan.

Speaking of my dojutsu, it reactivated itself. I was a bit shaky on my feet, but I was able to remain steady. I saw Sakura holding a poisoned kunai. Of course, it was her famous poison- the one that caused instant death to those who weren't immune. Which included my family. And me.

Sakura was really diving in for the kill. Her kunai raised, she ran towards Sasuke's right side- his opening. I was on his left. The running again, to save my master. _It is worth it_. Said my consciousness.

So I ran forward, chakra in my feet and urgency in my heart. Ichiro followed close behind. As Aunt Sakura dove her kunai in for the kill, Sasuke moved back towards me, but all of a sudden he was stopped by his son, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Aunt Sakura suddenly had the advantage. I saw my father and my mother watch in horror. I couldn't see Ken or Kabuto or anyone else. Sakura outstretched her kunai to his abdomen, bits of poison flying off to the sides and sizzling on the ground, melting it like a strong acid.

She drew the kunai partially back- she was aiming for a scratch, only a scratch. So I threw myself in front of Sasuke and held up my right arm for protection. Aunt Sakura couldn't stop, and the kunai flew up gracefully and scratched my arm. It wasn't painful at all.

Of course, even if I was immune, it would still make me a bit sick. I coughed, choking on my own spit. I immediately felt like I was going to retch.

I turned to look at Sasuke, and grinned. Obviously I looked green, because he recoiled.

"No! Hikari!" I heard Ichiro shout. "The kunai's poisoned!"

"No shit, Sherlock." I retorted back. "I could tell. I'm not dumb." My stomach was cramping horribly.

"Hikari…you…" Sasuke murmured. I turned back around, my body protesting in nausea to my movement, and I bent over. My hair escaped the ponytail I had put it in and large, straight red locks fell out of my hood.

"Stand up, kid." I heard Sakura say.

Here it comes. My nausea vanished as quickly as it had begun. I slowly raised my head.

Sakura pulled off the hood. She stared into my eyes and I stared back. Aunt Sakura dropped her kunai. Mom gasped, and Dad said, "What?"

I looked at Sakura, and to Sasuke. Obviously, he had no idea what was going on. So I turned to him and said, "Sasuke, I lied to you. I was never cast out of my village."

"What?" Sakura said again, confused.

I turned back to her. I was not able to meet anyone's eyes. "But I left my village, because everyone hated me because of the Rinnegan. You loved my Rinnegan." I turned again to face Sasuke, meeting his eyes.

"Hikari." Sakura said. I turned to face my aunt. "We love you."

"You hate my Rinnegan." I retorted back. "Because of what Pain did to Konoha. And I can't stand knowing that! But with Sasuke, I was able to learn how to control it, and because everyone loved my power, I could make friends!" I was half-sobbing right now. "I've never made friends before." I turned to look at Chichi. His face almost made my heart break: he was betrayed, confused, and happy at the same time. So was my mom. "And now that you know I've betrayed you, I just want you to know I will die for my friends!"

"Hikari." Dad said. "We won't kill you. You belong with us, in our home." Sasuke wasn't moving. No one was.

"You never treated me like I had would have a home with you to go _to_! I was surrounded by people, but I was _always_ alone. So kill me. Kill the traitor."

"I'm not going to kill you. I'm not even going to arrest you."

"Why is that, Mister Hokage, sir?" I asked, putting as much ice into it as I could, walking towards him slowly.

"Because you're my daughter." Naruto said. "And you're the best daughter anyone could ever have. You're strong, and you'll never give up, even if it kills you, and you're sensitive and loving. And I love you."

Mom ran over and hugged me. "Every day you were gone, I imagined that you were dead, or kidnapped, and I was so worried. I searched every day." I stood in shock, letting the words sink in.

I was the_ best daughter anyone could ever have._

I was the_ best daughter ever._

My mom searched for me _everyday_.

Chichi and Okasama love me.

Tears, real, salt water tears, leaked from my eyes. I hugged my mom as hard as I could. I couldn't get enough. I had missed a hug like that so much, it made me sob. But that hurt my now-healing ribs.

The genjutsu broke. I turned to Sasuke, slowly meeting his gaze. "You...you're crazy." I told him. The man snarled, and he blinked, his Sharingan consumed by Mangekyo Sharingan. My dad's kunai, sheathed in his sleeve, slid into his hand with a faint metal sound.

"And you're from Konoha." He said. Kabuto leapt up next to him, and Ichiro flinched in surprise. Mangetsu and Ko joined him, their faces looking at me regretfully, but like they wanted to be on my side, just to be with me. Sasuke faced Kabuto. "Kill the girl." He said. Wow. This was happening a little too fast.

"We were once Team 7." Dad said. "Remember, Sasuke? Remember when we were my daughter's age? It was so much better then, before you left."

Sasuke ignored my dad. He bellowed, "Now!"

Everything happened at once.

Kabuto and Mom leapt for me. Kabuto's snake unsheathed itself from his cloak, and opened its mouth, aiming at me. Sasuke, Sakura, and Chichi leapt for each other. I heard Ken scream as he ran to me.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

"SHANNARO!"

Ichiro disappeared from sight when the ground crumbled under Aunt Sakura's punch. He fell through the roof. Ko was severely burned by Sasuke's Fire Technique. Mangetsu was trying to reach for Ichiro, look for him, something, but he succumbed to the falling roof as well. Sasuke was cackling. "I don't care who else dies!" He was screaming. "As long as everyone in Konoha dies, screaming in pain!" I couldn't see my male friends anywhere. Ko was on fire, screaming and rolling on the ground. She was crying for her mom, who had also fallen through the roof.

_Crunch._

_ Snap._

_ Gasp._

"NO!" I heard someone scream. It was Mom.

I was the one in total silence. But neither of us had been hurt.

The person lying in a pool of blood with a decapitated snakehead was Ken.


	13. Hikari

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Also: Hikari was taught the Rasengan by her dad, but she can do it with one hand. Just to clarify, Ken got in front of Hikari as a snake was about to attack her- not Kabuto. **

I didn't care about my power.

I didn't care that people hate me when I use it.

All I cared about when I lost it was the death of the soulless man who killed my brother.

This time when I lost it to the Rinnegan wasn't like last time. This time, I could remember everything I did, except I didn't have control over my body. I could hear myself scream, and I was caught in a dome of my chakra lacing around me. "You son of a bitch," I snarled, standing up to face Kabuto. He had retreated to the other side of the gaping hole in the roof. I couldn't feel any wind, but apparently there was a wind blowing that made Mom's hair whip, my dad's cloak fly, and all of the adults put their hands over their mouths, to avoid all the flying dirt.

Kabuto's cloak flew off him and blew away in the wind. He wore black three-quarter pants and a purple shirt with an off-white sash around his waist. But his fashion sense wasn't the worst part (and let me tell you, it was worse than my dad's).

It was the fact that white snakeskin covered his entire body. At least, what was visible to me.

I saw it through the Rinnegan. His entire chakra wasn't natural- it was obviously alien to his body, and it completely took over his own chakra. I didn't see any of his own.

I roared at him, and the chakra from my bellow forced him to fall back. But he caught himself in midair and flipped, landing on the side of the roof. My hands ripped out the seals of the Chidori and my left arm flew back, the lightening chakra screaming along with me. Meanwhile, my right hand formed a Fuuton: Rasengan.

Suddenly, I was thrown forward. "Hinata, stop Hikari!" Chichi shouted. Hi could see that he was in Sage Mode, his reverse-Summoning scroll being rolled back up and latched onto his back. Sasuke was trying to kill both him and Sakura, Amaterasu flying everywhere. I was running to Kabuto. He was easily dodging me, seeing as I couldn't move fast with the Chidori, and I had to move in straight lines. Eventually I caught him by flicking the Fuuton: Rasengan at him and using its control to expand. He was thrown off by the sheer force of it.

While he was paralyzed on the floor, I ran at him and hit him with the Chidori. My Rinnegan showed him covering the place where the Chidori hit with his chakra. He healed as fast as I could take a deep breath. Kabuto stood up with his evil grin, while I stood, deliberating which move to use next. "The power you have…" He said. "I want it!"

Kabuto speedily lashed out at me, snakes flying everywhere. They bit onto everything around me: the sides of the roof, my arms, my legs, my abdomen, half-incinerating in the chakra force. They surrounded me, tying themselves around me like ropes. Somehow, my arms broke free and performed the seals for something I'd never done before.

Suddenly, a fire dragon lashed up the snakes, turning them to ashes and Kabuto's skin on fire. He calmly stood there, and I blinked. Suddenly he was gone. I turned around, and there he stood, perfectly fine. Where he was before was a snakeskin large enough for a human. The skin, as well as the roof, was on fire.

Kabuto lashed out to get me with a Chakra Scalpel for a hand, but I dodged and collided with a sudden burning wall. I screamed in pain, my skin smoking, and backed off, to turn around and see what I had so painfully run into. It was Susano'o, just as Ichiro had described it what seemed like years ago, in the flesh. Sasuke was at the center, his right eye bleeding and his face twisting in pain. I saw my dad through the purple fire, his face betraying pure revulsion and shock.

I turned around to see a large snake, thicker than a tree and as long as a town block, slithering towards me, crushing buildings in its wake. Kabuto was on its head, cackling. I was so startled that my body went on the defense, flipping up and over Sasuke and landing in front of Dad.

For a split second, I got a good look at the Susano'o. It was a giant of purple flame-chakra, with yellow lamps for eyes. Susano'o was a humanoid creature, with a large samurai helmet, a large shield on one hand and a bow and arrow in the other. It launched an arrow at me and my dad.

Chichi lifted me up and dragged me over to the side. I pointed at the snake and said, "Shinra Tensei." Kabuto leapt off the snake to land on an adjacent roof just as it was lifted up into the air and sailed to the other side of Konoha. Not my problem for the next five minutes, if no one managed to kill it before it returned.

"Amaterasu." I saw black flames heading towards my dad and me.

Chichi got in front of me, defending me from the oncoming flames. I slid in front of him and they disappeared, much to Chichi's shock. "Have you mastered the Rinnegan?" He whispered to me.

"The basics." I whispered back. I took a quick second to look back at my dad. He was laughing, his mouth spread wide in his famous grin. I turned back, with the exact same smile on my face, to see Kabuto and Sasuke running towards us.

I thought I saw something, so I rubbed my eyes. I _had_ seen something- my dad was in his Kyuubi Mode, and he was attempting to break through Susano'o, which was loosing its armor and skin. Sasuke was running out of chakra. I could see the weak point of Susano'o with my Rinnegan.

"Chichi!" I called. "The base of the spine!" He understood what I said, and tested my theory with a Mini Rasen-Shuriken. But Sasuke spun around and Susano'o's arm whipped around and my dad spun, flying across many buildings to crash into an apartment complex. It crumbled. He flashed back to punch the Susano'o with a chakra arm, and it exploded, a skeleton of Susano'o emerging from the opaque purple flames.

I had been standing stock-still like an idiot, not looking for Kabuto. I was stabbed from behind. I spit up blood, and looked over my shoulder at the snake-like face of Kabuto.

I heard a hissing noise, and the large snake had returned, only to succumb and disappear to my mother's Jyuuken. Her black hair was flying around her face, and when she looked back at me, her eyes were burning with hate.

Sakura fought the snake with her, her hand descending on its head. The snake crumbled pitifully, hissing, and opened its mouth again to attack.

I jumped up and behind Kabuto. I bit him in the shoulder. _I'm never going back from that one._ I thought. But unorthodox moves always work the best. Kabuto flipped around and grabbed my hands, his snakes emerging to tie me up. His eyes were wild, like a person that hadn't seen another face for years.

"The daughter of the Sixth Hokage, the Kyuubi, and the Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja. You are a lot like him. I can't wait to see how your eyes work." He said savagely. "I can't wait to implant them in someone else, to see how you function." He cackled. "I can't wait to kill you and resurrect you."

I gripped Kabuto's throat, and even though he was taller than me, I lifted him up. I felt something rise beside me. Purple smoke was drifting around my feet. Kabuto's eyes were filled with excitement, wonder, and fear. His tongue fell- and I mean _fell_- out of his mouth, extending up and out. I turned and saw the Gedo beside me, its mouth open, a hand emerging out of its mouth to grip Kabuto's tongue and pull it. Kabuto's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Death looked so unbecoming on him.

Suddenly, Kabuto's body started to shrivel. His skin was white and empty. "SHIT!" I screamed, frustrated. I turned around when Kabuto appeared in front of me as the Gedo disappeared, a snake gripping each of my shoulders. Kabuto was cackling evilly.

I saw the small, crumpled body of Ken over the snake-man's shoulder. He was in a large pool of blood, his eyes unseeing. There was no chakra flowing through his body. I was so angry.

A large wind started up, and my hair flew around my head, getting tangled upon itself, everything. I pushed my hands on his chest and Kabuto went soaring to the other side of the roof. The snakes disintegrated in the heat of the chakra. "You asshole!" I screeched. "You killed my brother! I'll kill you!" I felt my body moving without my command. Suddenly, I felt like something inside of me was trying to rip free. It wasn't painful at all, rather, it seemed eager, wanting to help.

Large chakra chains burst out of my body to wrap around Kabuto. Chichi looked back at me. He said something I couldn't hear. His lips said, "Okachan's chakra chains."

Kabuto was breaking free. His snakes were writhing, biting me, biting Ken's corpse, biting my mom and Sakura, who were still fighting the snake, biting people who tried to approach- Uncle Neji, Uncle Sai, Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-baa-chan, and they kept on advancing angrily.

I had a sudden idea. I didn't know if it would kill me, or how much it would destroy, but it was worth a try. I clapped my hands together and focused. "Hikari, no!" Dad screamed, but Sasuke was keeping him busy. I suddenly felt so tired. I wanted to fall asleep. I didn't want to wake up. Screaming, I ran at Kabuto, him frozen in shock. He realized that he couldn't escape my grandmother's Chakra Chains with his chakra. Sucker.

I shoved the black ball of gravity down his throat.

"CHIBAKU TENSEI!" I bellowed.

I flew back and Kabuto rose into the air, the chakra chains disintegrating. I kept my hands clamped together, every single one of my cells on fire.

My legs couldn't hold my body anymore. I crumpled to the ground. "Sakura, it's dead." I could hear my mom faintly. I looked up to see Okachan running to me, putting her arms around me protectively. "Hikari, are you okay?" She asked, concerned. I nodded. I saw droplets of blood fall to the floor. I wiped my nose. It was a nosebleed. Mom lifted me up and leapt back onto the next roof. I got onto my knees, keeping my hands glued together. Bunches of buildings, the ground, soil- emerged into the sky, flying towards Kabuto.

_If he can escape external attacks, then get his insides, _I thought cruelly. Blood ran from my nose over my mouth, my teeth clenched and my lips ripped open in a snarl. Mom knelt beside me, her arm over my shoulders. Her hand was clenched in a fist, next to her mouth. My dad was still fighting with Sasuke, when suddenly they both floated into the sky, the Chibaku Tensei's gravity catching them.

"Chichi!"

"I got it!"

My dad's Chakra arms gathered around his hands, and a Tailed Beast Ball appeared, and it launched to the Chibaku Tensei. As soon as it exploded, I released the jutsu. Kabuto's blood- along with snakeskin- flew everywhere, getting on my body, my mom's body, flying on everyone. "_Yuck_." I said, revolted. My mom shook out her hand, dripping in the gross red liquid. Sasuke's Susano'o grew in strength.

I could see Sasuke attempt to catch Dad under a genjutsu. Chichi laughed. "Sasuke, I've gotten friendlier with the Kyuubi since I saw you twenty years ago." He said. "He's my partner in breaking genjutsu." Sasuke's Susano'o emerged again, at fuller force, before he hit the ground.

Oh, man. Sasuke was screwed.

_**Hell**_**, that was a long chapter. Okay, so now it's done! Hikari is able to emerge from her hatred for those who dislike her and fight a very real enemy to her family. Fun stuff! **


	14. Suigetsu and Juugo

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Now…A girl's resolve is found. It's the next generation of Uzumaki! At least, that's what a manga title would be. XP Okay...here are some review responses!**

**Ousama2: I will :)**

**DarkenedMoon: Yeah, this is really graphic. So...if you or anyone else who's reading this eats before reading, you will puke. Just sayin'. And also...I didn't kill Sakura. I killed Kabuto...and also...well, you'll see in this chapter. Enjoy! :D**

Okachan and I got up. I felt wobbly and like a child who had just learned to walk. Sakura appeared next to me and I saw Chichi on the other side of what remained of the roof. This was the _second_ large roof we had destroyed in this battle. Ken's small body lay on the last one, and the four of us Konoha ninja stood in a square around the dusty crater of a roof on the next one.

The dust cloud was clearing, and I saw other ninja emerging out to form a circle rather than a square: Kakashi-sensei, all my uncles and aunts, related and friends of my parents: Uncle Neji, his wife Aunt Tenten, Sai, Ino, Shikamaru, Shino. Tsunade-baa-chan was there too, even Karin, the sensor-nin. She was staring at Sasuke in utter comical disgust. I realized some people were missing- Kiba, Choji, Shizune-sama and Lee. I wondered where they were.

The dust cleared, and in the center stood Sasuke, his Susano'o glowing. Surprisingly, he turned to me, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan burning into my skin. "So you're betraying me." Sasuke said to me. I flinched. "You know, they hate you, right? Just give up on them. You have us. We took you in, we sheltered you, you had friends. We didn't hate you. You have the power to destroy them all. To see these terribly people die, screaming in pain." None of the adults moved or flinched, many eyes remaining stone-cold.

My heart felt heavy in my chest. It was hard to breathe. It was partially the genjutsu that Sasuke was trying to put on me, and also just my pain. But I had to say what I felt. And the first thing that came was anger. "First of all, my friends, including _your own son_, fell when the roof crumbled, you didn't even flinch when you saw your son fall, and I don't even know if they're alive. Second, you're crazy. Third, it's my power that people really hate- I even hate it myself. Fourth, you put a genjutsu on me.

"Fifth, my family never gave up on me when I was gone, and they welcomed me with open arms even though they saw me with you." I could feel tears streaming down my face. I didn't even care to notice if they were blood or not. "I'm such a terrible person that I don't even deserve their love, but now that I _know_ that they love me, I'm not going to give up on them. I'm _never_ going to give up on them ever again. And I have a larger family than I thought." I looked around at all the people who were surrounding Sasuke. They were all smiling at me. "So, no, Sasuke. Sorry. I'm a different person than I was two months ago."

Sasuke stared at me dumbfounded. "The person I am today will never give up on the people who love her. That even includes Ichiro, Ko, and Mangetsu." I sighed, not sure if they were even alive.

"Give up." Naruto said. "You're surrounded, Sasuke. We face off, now."

"I don't think so." A voice said. I turned to see two figures standing on a nearby undamaged apartment complex. It was Suigetsu and Juugo.

"Where are Ko and Mangetsu?" Juugo asked me. I hated to tell him, but I shook my head.

"Sasuke burned Ko and Mangetsu fell when the roof collapsed." I said to them. Juugo looked away. "Where's your wife…?" I asked as they jumped to our roof, Suigetsu next to Sasuke, smiling evilly, and Juugo for some weird reason next to me. Juugo shook his head. I felt sorry for Ko…if she was still alive.

"Don't worry, Juugo, our kids are strong." Suigetsu said. He unleashed the frightening Executioner's Blade in front of him, muscles rippling.

"Sasuke." Juugo said threateningly. I looked at him. His eyes were sad, and the black tattoos began creeping up his neck. "Did you kill my daughter?" Sasuke's face was impassive, not really focusing on his follower.

"That girl got caught in the blast." Sasuke said. "It was her own fault." Juugo's skin suddenly turned brownish-gray, and his eyes went black. He charged at Sasuke, roaring in pain.

"Bansho Ten'in." I said. Juugo flew back towards me. "I don't think she's dead," I murmured, "But Sasuke would sacrifice anyone for his ambition to destroy Konoha." Juugo stood up.

"I know." He said solemnly.

"Why do you follow him, then?" I asked, cluelessly angry. "He a sadistic murderer."

"It's a long story." Juugo said. "But this is going too far." The tall man, his tattoos recceeding, stood up to face Sasuke. "I refuse to follow you anymore." He said in his quiet voice. "I'm not going to fight for you anymore, Sasuke."

"Kill him." Sasuke commanded Suigetsu. The white-haired man looked confused, a face I had seen often on Mangetsu. I heard a familiar, yet unwelcome noise.

"Get out of here!" I screamed at Juugo. Suigetsu heard me too. It was in time, too, because suddenly a Fuuton: Rasen-Shuriken attacked Susano'o and exploded. Sasuke was thrown back, and Suigetsu managed to avoid the blast. They leapt over to the crater that was surrounded in flecks of blood. Juugo began searching for Ko.

The adults had thought I was talking to them, so Mom grabbed me and we all ran onto the next building as Dad and Sasuke began clashing.

I _thunked_ down painfully. My ribs had been broken, I had been stabbed in the back, I had a nosebleed, and I was really low on chakra.

I felt two hands on my back, and the sudden pain of rapid healing. The hands were familiar. They were Aunt Sakura's. "I missed you, Aunt Sakura." I said. My nose was stuffed up and my eyes were burning. Why did I have to cry?

"I missed you too." Sakura said numbly. Her nose was stuffed as well. I felt a droplet of water fall on my back. At least I wasn't the only one. I turned around and gave her a big hug.

"Shit!" I heard my dad say. I turned around and saw him getting up, Sasuke ten feet away, Susano'o burning. Chichi wiped blood away from his mouth. He was in Sage Mode again.

"Amaterasu." Sasuke said. A bolt of black flames flickered toward my dad, and in a flash he dodged, beginning a bout of taijutsu. I sat next to Sakura, who was on her knees, staring at the fight. Okachan stood on my other side, also watching the fight. My dad was in both Sage Mode and Kyuubi Mode now. The two men clashed at a speed faster than I could see. Amaterasu was flying everywhere, along with Rasengan, and many other moves.

Suddenly they stopped. The two of them were staring at each other. I could see Dad's eyes were getting steadily redder. Sasuke was grinning. I focused the Rinnegan on Dad's chakra- it was becoming redder as well- and the Kyuubi was escaping. Sasuke was trying to manipulate the Kyuubi inside of Dad.

"Snap out of it, Dad!" I cried.

"Naruto!" Mom screamed. Dad blinked, stumbling slightly. The redness was gone, replaced with the Kyuubi's usual orange. I laughed in triumph. Sasuke snarled and attacked my dad. They were at it again- the blur of Sasuke's sword, the flash of Chichi's Rasengan. Susano'o was gone. Suddenly Sasuke froze, with Dad's hand thrust forward, hidden by Sasuke's body. Suddenly, Sasuke flickered and disappeared.

"What?" Dad ran back, surprised. I grunted, and a couple people behind me gasped. "What the hell?"

"How the fuck did he put all of us in a genjutsu?" I asked. Sakura slapped the back of my head.

"Don't curse." She retorted icily.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

Chichi whirled around, looking for Sasuke. No one could see him, until he burst up from between two buildings, his sword raised over his head. He was screaming. My dad defended himself with kunai at his wrists. But the force of Sasuke's assault was so intense that even my dad in his strong stance fell back.

But Sasuke was weakening. He had been fighting longer, with too much power and less pacing. He was excited for the prospect of Chichi's death- and the rest of Konoha's, I realized.

I heard something behind me. I turned around and I saw Mangetsu climbing out of the crater a couple of buildings away. I beckoned to him, and he stumbled and crawled over to me as fast as he could, looking worse-for-wear. "I heard my dad." He said hoarsely. I took the last water bottle out of his belt and handed it to him. He took a large gulp.

"Ichiro? Ko?"

"I saw Ko, but she was too burned to heal…and Ichiro…" I bowed my head. I felt a tear fall into my lap.

"Kiba?"

"It's probably still down there, but I couldn't find it." He shrugged, like it was unimportant to him. But I knew how important Suigetsu's dream was to Mangetsu. It was his dream as well.

"I'm sorry." I told him. Mangetsu shrugged again.

"Friends…are more important than swords." He said. I think he was telling himself that more then he was telling me. I put my arm around his shoulder and hugged him close. That's what friends do, after all. We sat in silence, watching my dad fight Sasuke.

"You're dad…I don't see him." I told Mangetsu. "He and Juugo disappeared."

I heard birds. Hundreds of birds. Chichi held Sasuke down with his chakra arms. Suddenly I knew what Chichi was going to do. I gasped. "No…" I said. That isn't a way to die. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two figures high up on the next building.

Kakashi-sensei leapt out of his hiding place, from the other building, and ripped the Chidori through my…former…master's chest. "It's ironic that you should die from the same technique I taught you." Kakashi-sensei said.

Sasuke slumped over Dad's arm. "Sasuke-sama." Mangetsu said. He straightened up, meaning to rise, and then gasped. Sasuke had used the Replacement Technique…

…with Suigetsu.

"Otosan!" Mangetsu cried. He leapt up, running for his dad. Suigetsu faded to water…and then something whiter and paler. He was electrified, his entire body uncontrollable, and injured more than a usual body would be with a Lightening-Release Attack.

Juugo grabbed Mangetsu by the arms, and dragged him back to me.

"He's killed both of our families." Juugo said. "But just let this happen by itself." Kakashi-sensei ripped his arm out of Suigetsu's corpse. It fell to the ground in a puddle of water and sludge.

"Otosan…"

Sasuke reappeared behind Kakashi-sensei, and just as Sasuke thrust his sword forward, Kakashi-sensei was able to dodge, as well as Chichi.

Something clicked in my mind. Dad said something about 'Team 7,' Kakashi-sensei also said something about 'teaching Sasuke the Chidori.'

Well, shit.

Dad and Sakura had been teamed up with Sasuke.

**Okay, I know, I'm killing all the characters Masashi Kishimoto-sama worked so hard to create, but, hey! I need a good death story going on here. See ya next time!**


	15. Team 7's Last Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This chapter is kinda gory…kind of like a couple other ones…which is mainly why this story is rated T. If you've just eaten, DON'T read this chapter. And...please don't hate me for what you're about to read!**

**This story will be finished before the 17****th**** of July, because that's when I leave for camp…and I'll be gone for 5 weeks. But I have more ideas and I will be writing. Kthankshereitis!**

I was holding Mangetsu's hand and leaning on Aunt Sakura.

Suddenly, I heard a gasp. I looked up and I saw Ino get slashed in the shoulder from behind with a sword. Red liquid spurted out of her shoulder in a small arc and landed in front of her. The army had caught up to us.

Mom stood up before I could slide around with Mangetsu. Sakura whipped her gloves on and stood next to Mom. I blinked, and fell to my side, realizing that Aunt Sakura wasn't there anymore. "I'll take care of these ninja. Please make sure my daughter doesn't get hurt, Sakura." Hinata said. Aunt Sakura nodded. Juugo stood up with her, the black tattoos creeping up the back of his neck and down his arms.

"Damn it!" I heard Chichi scream. I turned with Aunt Sakura to see that two of the better Jounin assassins from Sasuke's army had joined him in his fight with Dad and Kakashi-sensei.

"Hinata…" I heard my aunt say.

"Okay."

Mom flew towards the enemies, her hair trailing behind her and looking like a halo of Death. I couldn't see her eyes, but I knew her Byakugan was out. The first Jyuuken she dealt out was at a guy's neck, and he fell down like a dummy, the air forced out of his throat.

"I'll watch Hikari and Mangetsu." Juugo said kindly. Sakura nodded again and leapt to join Dad's fight. Kakashi-sensei and Chichi each brought down one of the assassins, and they dropped like rocks. But Sasuke had had time to recover and his Susano'o flickered back to life.

I curled up into a ball. Mangetsu put his arm around me. I leaned into him. "Why aren't you fighting?" I asked. But it was a stupid question, because at that moment one of the enemies had grabbed my arm and Mangetsu quickly kicked him away without hesitation. I turned to look at them.

"Traitors!" One of them snarled. "Seeking to be sheltered by Konoha? You will die!" He leapt for me and I threw a kunai at him. It sunk past the artery in his neck into his trachea. He dropped like a sack of sand. Raising my arm had put too much pressure on my ribs, though. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. I couldn't stand up anymore, and Mangetsu was looking paler and paler, his water bottles empty. Luckily the adults were still pretty fresh and most weren't injured.

I turned and saw Ino's body being protected by Sai. Ino was breathing heavily, the wound in her shoulder bleeding sluggishly. An enemy Shinobi slashed through Sai and he turned black and white and melted to ink. The ninja looked surprised…and that was the last expression his face would ever have, since at that moment Sai's tonto cut his throat, and the man's blood spilled out like a small waterfall. I crawled over to Ino and tore my cloak and wrapped it around her shoulder to stop the blood flow. It was a bit deeper than a graze, but it didn't reach her muscles, even though I could see a bit of bone. "It's fine." She said, and stood up. She was still a bit pale from the blood loss, though. "Shikamaru!" She called. Its like the two of them read each others' minds; even though Choji wasn't there, the team would still fight to the death for their villiage. Their Will of Fire.

_Did I have it?_, I wondered. _I think I lost it. Would it be possibly for me to find it again? _

_Or did I ever have it in the first place?_

I tried to stand up and I slashed and dodged from all the enemies that had swarmed the rooftops. I was attacked and battered all over, my chakra getting lower and lower, and my movements slowed. I could hear myself whimpering, my breath rasping in my chest.

I was grabbed by Juugo and he jumped back so I could be out of harm. He set me down next to Mangetsu, who was already there, a kunai in his leg. There were trails of blood leaking from his nose and his mouth, and he was electrocuted slightly, no doubt from an enemies' jutsu. Immediately, I started playing with my hair, a trait and nervous habit I got from my mom. Parts of it felt shorter than usual. I gasped, and grabbed a lock. The end was burned by when my chakra getting loose. Ick. Whatever. I tied my hair back in a loose bun and threw it over my shoulder. Suddenly I was overcome by a crazy coughing fit. I coughed for what it was worth, my hand covering my mouth.

"Are you okay?" Mangetsu asked.

"Yeah." I said reassuringly. But when I withdrew my cupped hand it was holding a pool of blood.

"Shit…Hikari." Mangetsu. "You're not okay."

"I am." I turned to him and insisted. "I'm not dying. I could even fight." To prove my point, I stood up, withdrawing my kunai from my sleeve. Mangetsu grabbed my wrist and I slapped his head.

"Ow." Mangetsu complained.

I scoffed. "I didn't hurt you, you wuss." I said. Juugo, when he wasn't distracted, turned back to us.

"Stop fighting." He said.

"Yeah, Mangetsu." I mocked. Juugo leapt up to where we were and smacked my head. The weight of his blow forced me on my knees.

After Juugo left, it didn't take long for me to collapse on my side, my ribs screaming in protest. I grit my teeth and let the pain overwhelm me before I stood back up again, trying to join the fight.

My help wasn't needed though.

The enemies were dwindling down. Then again, there were a lot of my parents' friends who had led them away from the fight of Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei. Many dead bodies lay on the rooftops, some aflame, out of chakra, bled out, fallen to their own comrades, shadows, bugs, and other ninjutsu.

"Raikiri!"

Sasuke was able to dodge Kakashi-sensei's Raikiri, which had almost broken down Susano'o, Chichi hit him with a Fuuton: Rasen-Shuriken and Susano'o died. Sasuke spun around to defend his back from Kakashi-sensei and Dad before he realized that Aunt Sakura was there with a kunai.

I could hear her whisper.

"Sasuke. Thank you."

Sakura plunged the kunai into Sasuke's chest.

It was like I was deaf.

There were no other sounds, just watching Sasuke's expression as his Mangekyo Sharingan faded to his Sharingan, to his black eyes. Then his eyes went glassy. I saw his body fall and the shock in Kakashi-sensei's eyes, my dad's face paralyzed, and Sakura frozen as Sasuke's corpse fell to the ground, finally dead. Sakura fell to her knees.

The air was heavy with the feeling of dismay.

Aunt Sakura's scream broke the silence. Mangetsu and I crawled down the roof to be closer.

Her eyes and face were covered in horror- sheer, terrifying, deathly horror. And her hands…they were covered in Sasuke's blood.

I grabbed Mangetsu's hand, and lead him down to the roof. I couldn't breathe, but there was something I had to do.

"I can only do this with a few people."

"Not enough chakra?"

I shook my head. "No. Find Ichiro and Ko. Also get my brother."

"The little kid with the Byakugan." He said that as a statement of fact. I nodded and fell again to my knees.

Immediately, Mangetsu ran back to the cave-in where Ichiro's and Ko's bodies lay. I think he knew where they lay all along.

Doing what I was about to do would constitute using most of my remaining chakra…or maybe all of it.

I forced my Rinnegan back to life. It hurt like hell…it was like all of my cells were on fire…my hair, my nails, my skin, even my organs inside my body as well.

It felt like forever, or maybe just a blink of an eye, before Mangetsu gently placed all three bodies in a line in front of me.

Sakura was still screaming. Okachan came and put her jacket over her shoulders, even though it was bloody and scratched from the fight. The invasion, I noted, was dying down. My dad's beloved city was quieting- fires going out, screams being lessened, the crashes and chakra-fueled hums of ninjutsu and genjutsu were lessening.

"What are you going to do?" Mangetsu's face was directly in mine.

I narrowed my eyes. "Shut up. I need to concentrate."

Mangetsu straightened and plopped down in front of me, his hands up in an innocent gesture. "Okay, okay."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're annoying!"

"I know." Mangetsu grinned devilishly, every single one of his pointed teeth showing. I focused my Rinnegan on doing one last technique, closing my eyes.

I opened my eyes, looking at Mangetsu's face. He was incredibly surprised and looking over my shoulder with a fearful gaze.

I turned. "Hello, Gedo." I said. The large humanoid head unzipped its collar and opened its mouth, knowing what I was about to do. I stood up painfully, my spine creaking and screaming. I looked at Ichiro's dead body. His skin was gray with dust, and many of his bones were broken- including his neck.

I picked Ichiro up and threw the corpse into Gedo's mouth.

"What are you doing!" Mangetsu asked, surprised. "Isn't Gedo for killing people?" I ignored him, not even asking Mangetsu to help me.

I needed to do this myself. I was resolute.

Even if I couldn't really do many productive things, I could at least do this. I picked Ko's body up and took a look at her face. It was barely recognizable. The only recognizable feature was the fact that she was the smallest person on the battlefield- even smaller than my brother. Her body was burned so badly that her clothes were gone, save for (luckily) her underclothes. But the rest of her skin was covered in third degree burns, her hair burned off, and parts of her face and left arm a black crisp. If I touched it, would she disintegrate? I didn't want to know. I gently placed her corpse into Gedo's mouth.

Last was Ken's body. His was covered in blood- thick, sticky and cold. He was still a bit warm, too. His Byakugan looked up at me with ferocity I had never seen in his eyes. His lips were drawn back in a snarl, and he looked like Dad so much. I kissed his forehead, protector and all, and placed the corpse into Gedo's mouth. My hands were covered in his blood. Would water even cleanse them?

Gedo closed its mouth. I suddenly felt intense pain, the rejoining of three souls to their destroyed bodies, when the souls had just barely left them. The healing of the skin, and hair, clothes, limbs. My chakra level was so low, that I realized if the technique didn't stop soon, I would die.

My Rinnegan could see the cells in my body loosing chakra like one would loose water when they dumped it out of a bottle.

Suddenly Gedo crashed to a halt. The process took all of fifteen seconds to happen. Gedo opened its mouth, and on its tongue were the newly restored bodies of Ichiro, Ko, and Ken. They weren't moving…but they were all _breathing_. I sobbed with relief.

I couldn't stand anymore, so I crawled over to the three of them. Mangetsu was kneeling, shocked into stillness. _Finally_.

I picked Ichiro first. I held his head in my lap, and tapped his soft cheek and shoulders until his eyes would open slightly. My entire body was craned over him, my hair escaping the bun I had put it in and falling over his face.

Ichiro's eyelids moved, and his mouth twitched. A tear fell onto his forehead. Ichiro opened his eyes and they focused to see me.

"Hikari…what happened?"

I was so relieved. But suddenly I lost all of my breath. The chakra in my cells was focused on keeping me alive, not healing my ribs and wounds. I tried to move my legs a bit before my eyes saw a black tunnel, and I fainted.

**Okay, guys! It feels so weird to kill Sasuke…really. And I had to kill him on chapter 15, since 15 is my lucky number XP **

**See you guys later!**


	16. Ichiraku Ramen

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**I'm really hating this guys- this is my second to last chapter. Please subscribe if you want more from me. I'm even thinking of doing a small prequel to "Hikari". **

I came to in a bleached room with bare florescent lights and sea green curtains. I sat up, and a bolt of pain sliced through the right side of my abdomen. I felt my back, where Kabuto had stabbed me. I also checked my ribs. They were mostly healed. I gasped, and threw my blankets off of my body. I was in a hospital gown, an ugly light blue, and I wasn't wearing anything underneath except bandages. _Underpants,_ I thought. That was the first thing I thought about when I woke up.

The second thing was that I was extremely hungry. I hadn't had my favorite food for two months. I needed it _now_.

The third thing was that I didn't know where anyone was. I didn't even know where _I _was, even though I had a good guess. I got out of bed and walked to the windows. The floor was cold under my feet. I pulled the curtains back.

The sun was just rising. Konoha was in ruins. Only a few scarce buildings remained. I was curious if my own house still stood. And where would Mangetsu stay? Were Ichiro and Ko and Ken okay?

It all felt like a dream.

I couldn't find my blue sandals, but I did find some slippers that matched the ugly hospital gown. I slid open the door and looked both ways down the hallway. No one else was there. _Where should I go?_ I wondered.

My growling stomach answered that one for me.

I pulled open the nightstand drawer and saw that my black cloak with the red trim was in there. Luckily, it was cleaned of blood and stitched, so all the the tears were gone. I threw it over me and pulled the hood up. I was ready for sneak mode.

I slipped down the hallway and discovered I was on the third floor. I ran down to the first floor and slid out of the window next to the courtyard and ran out the gateway. I walked away from Konoha Hospital as soon as I could. No one followed me.

Being a daughter of the Hokage meant that I was able to navigate the streets of Konoha at high speed- and in less than ten minutes I found myself standing in front of the best food shop in the entire Five Great Nations.

Ichiraku Ramen.

It was actually open. Entering the shop brought memories of delight back to the surface of my brain. The familiar face of Ayame-san turned around, intending to greet a regular with her joyous face, but was brought up short by the unknown cloak I was wearing that hid my face. Her little seven-year-old daughter, Yumi, was sitting on a barstool and peeling an orange. Yumi turned to see me inquisitorially; I lowered the hood, smiling her mother. "Long time, no see, Ayame-san." I said.

Ayame-san gasped and leaned over the ramen bar to look at me more closely. "Hikari? It is you! I can't believe it. Where have you been these two months?"

I was at a loss of what to say. But as I sat down, I made up a story- something not uncommon for me, I realized. "I was…forced to join, I guess, those guys who attacked the village yesterday." Best story I could think of. I stared Ayame-san square in the face.

Ayame-san looked at me sympathetically. "I guess you'll be wanting some ramen, then?"

"Yes, please! I want an extra-large miso pork ramen- with a lot of egg!"

Ayame-san laughed, and immediately got to work. Old Man Teuchi came out and greeted his daughter and granddaughter, and turned to see me, suddenly taken aback. "Is that Hikari?" He asked, his bright face laughing in joy. "You look like you've grown in the two months you disappeared!" I was saved from explaining what happened to Old Man Teuchi, because Ayame-san did that for me while her father took over the making of my ramen.

Ayame-san was never the tactless type to ask me what I had been doing, but instead I would always tell her. Yumi grew up listening to my stories, and would always pay attention until I finished. But I didn't feel like talking about my ordeal. Who would, if they had gone through the same thing I had gone through?

Within minutes, Teuchi put the extremely beautiful and delicious-smelling bowl of ramen in front of me. I grabbed a pair of chopsticks and put one in my mouth, pulling the two apart and placing them in my left hand. I was about to dig in before I realized that my hand was shaking badly. It was covered in bandages up to my shoulder. I didn't even know when I had injured it. I looked at my right arm. Bandaged up to my shoulder as well. Luckily enough, it wasn't shaking, and I was ambidextrous. I slipped the chopsticks into my steadier right hand and said, "Itadakimasu!"

Heaven. On. Earth.

I ate it even thought it burnt my tongue. I just needed the refreshing taste of something so familiar and lovable. Yumi was staring at me when I was eating, her big brown eyes taking me in. "Do I look older?" I asked her between bites. She smiled.

"Nope." Yumi said, her chin held high. I straightened, offended, and smacked her lightly across the head.

"I grew six centimeters in two months." I told her. "I'm 145 centimeters now."

I heard the rushed footsteps of worried people outside. I threw my hood up over my head, tucking my long hair into it as well. It was past my hips now, dark red, and thick.

"Where'd she go?" A male voice I didn't recognize said fretfully.

"I'm telling you, she's exactly like her father. She's getting food." Said a female voice I did recognize.

"Ramen?"

"Ramen." _Shit._

Two people walked into Ichiraku Ramen. I huddled closer to my bowl and swallowed the food in as large bites as I could get. Yumi started to eat her fruit, and Ayame-san and Old Man Teuchi were preparing the shop for the day's customers.

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen!" Ayame-san said jokingly. I heard two _poofs!_ And I stole a look at the two people who would bring me back to that stupid hospital.

But they weren't there. It was just my dad. I laughed internally with relief. My dad had used Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and Henge no Jutsu to fool me.

I lowered my hood. "Jeez, you're such a kid." I said to my dad, smiling.

He smiled back. "I still got you though." He chuckled, and turned to Old Man Teuchi. "Old Man, I'll have whatever Hikari's having." Teuchi smiled and said, "Coming right up!"

We sat in silence as Old Man Teuchi fixed Chichi's meal.

"We really missed you." Dad started out.

"I know." I said. "I missed you guys too."

"Then why did you do it?" Chichi asked sharply.

I was at a loss for words. What could I say that would make everything better? Nothing. Total bullshit.

"I already said what I had to say." I told him. "I guess."

"What?"

"I was lonely. I just felt like you guys didn't have the time for me, or you guys didn't care. I didn't mind that everyone else was scared of me, but what really…got to me, I guess…was the fact that I was always pushed to the backseat."

We sat in another realm of silence.

"But you know it's different, right?"

"Yeah. I know it's different."

It didn't feel like clearing the air…rather, just stating something matter-of-fact that had already been established. But there was something I needed to ask my dad.

"Sasuke was your teammate, wasn't he?" I asked Chichi.

"He wasn't just that. He was my friend. He was one of the first people to recognize me as a human, not a monster." I knew all about my dad's struggle when he was my age to become recognized by the village. It was funny how I was supposed to go through the exact same struggle, except I just didn't care if the villagers hated me.

But somehow, that hate's become more personal.

I finished my second bowl as soon as my dad finished his. We drank the soup and put the bowls down with a satisfying bang.

"You still have to go back to the hospital, though." Chichi said.

I folded my arms. "No. I want to go home."

Dad laughed. "Your covered in bandages, and our house is destroyed. We're staying in my office building along with a lot of other families whose houses have been destroyed for now."

I decided to actually take a good look at myself. I looked at my legs and saw that, indeed, I was covered in bandages. I felt my face. My ribs. More bandages. "Bandages are stupid." I said. I started to unravel them on my arms. I withdrew them to see that I was fully healed.

"You don't heal as fast as I do, but you do have some of the Kyuubi's healing powers thanks to me." Chichi said. We grinned at each other.

"My ribs still aren't healed yet, though." I paused, and asked, "How long was I out?"

"A week." Dad said simply. I didn't react.

I heard the pattering of feet again. This time, I knew it was really Sakura, and not someone doing the Henge no Jutsu. Sakura burst into Ichiraku Ramen, her face alight with anger. "There you are, Hikari!" She shouted, and smacked the back of my head. "We come into your room to check on you, and you're gone!" She hit the back of Chichi's head too. "And you, Naruto! You're not better- _letting_ her sneak out, not even trying to get her back!"

"She's almost healed!" Dad protested to Sakura.

"She's also _my_ patient! And even though she's almost back to normal, I still need to check her ribs. Both of her lungs were punctured just a week ago, okay?"

I was trying not to giggle. It hurt a little too much. But they were like brother and sister, Dad and Sakura were. I didn't care that they were yelling at each other. I was glad that they were arguing because they cared about me.

Sakura was now trying to strangle my dad.

I interrupted the rant that she was on. "Aunt Sakura, I'll go back to the hospital with you." Sakura looked surprised. So did Dad. I gave Chichi a hug- the biggest one I could give, trying to pour all my gratitude to him. I couldn't have a better dad than he was. Surprised, he hugged me back.

"Dad, you're paying, right?"

"W-WHAT?" I gave my dad the grin I inherited from him.

"See ya!" I left Ichiraku Ramen with Aunt Sakura.

**Okay, guys! The final chapter will be up on Thursday- the day the next Naruto episode and manga come out! Kthanksbye 3**


	17. Seimeiryoku

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**This is the last (and longest) chapter to the story of Hikari. I hope you guys enjoyed the story and I hope that it could even give you peeps inspiration for your own fanfics. My next fanfiction will premiere in 3-6 weeks. I'm really gonna miss Hikari's voice…I hope you guys really like her.**

**Confused about the name of the chapter? 'Seimeiryoku' means 'Life' or 'One's most precious thing'. **

**Uber major thanks to epic-failure-yea-i-know, DarkendMoon, Ousama2, Knockknuckle, ThriceJinxed, Tirfarthuan, Charm Caster-chan, and TheCynic'sDream!**

**Lastly, DOMO ARIGATO DATTEBAYO!**

Aunt Sakura was testing my blood pressure. I held still as the bag inflated up to the point of pain in my left arm- I had just learned that my arm had been broken by someone without my even knowing it. I was happily changed back into my normal chain mail shirt with a tank top underneath, the skirt and leggings. When Sakura was done, she put a bandage back on my arm- much to my protest- and groaned about my healing abilities. she placed her hands over my ribs, the green glow of healing ninjutsu surrounding her hands. When she was done, I got up and stretched, my ribs feeling much better.

"You heal as fast as Naruto does." She complained.

"That's cause my dad is the Kyuubi, right?" I said jokingly. "I guess I got some of his power from him." Sakura shrugged. I could tell something was bothering her.

"What's wrong, Aunt Sakura?" I asked.

Aunt Sakura looked at me. "Hikari…could you maybe try…"

I waited for her to finish her sentence. I'm not an entirely patient person. "Spill it, Aunt Sakura." I snapped. "What's bothering you?"

Sakura looked down. "Could you possibly use the Gedo Summoning to bring Sasuke-kun back?"

I stared at her in shock. I really wanted to do it, just to make Aunt Sakura happy. But I couldn't. "Aunt Sakura. I don't have enough power to save someone that big." I said sadly. I couldn't meet her eyes, so I looked at my scratched up hands. "Plus, it's already been a week. Giving someone life who has just died…for me, there's only a one-hour window." I looked at Aunt-Sakura. "You love him, right?"

Aunt Sakura wasn't crying or anything. "Yes, I _did_ love him. Even when he left the village…I never gave up hope. Even when I swore to kill him if he wouldn't change his ways...when I persuaded Naruto and everyone else that they must kill him as a traitor...when he was from my own team- Team 7. We were the three Genins, and Kakashi-sensei was our leader." Aunt Sakura still wasn't shedding a tear. I loved her and I always knew she was a strong person. I wanted to make her happy- but I couldn't. She knew it, and I knew she loved me anyway. Aunt Sakura gave me a big hug, and I returned it.

"Thank you for healing me." I said. I noticed Aunt Sakura's eyes were shining. I got up and left the room.

It took less than ten seconds to be immediately assaulted. I was surrounded by people hugging me, and I was suffocating because their embrace was so tight. Eventually, they pulled back.

"We heard you were awake." Ko said breathlessly. "We came running as fast as we could."

"You were in such a deep coma." Mangetsu said delightedly. "The doctors weren't sure you'd wake up."

"Well, that's a pleasant thing to say, Mangetsu." I retorted. I turned to Ichiro. He stood in silence, his hands in his pockets. I just noticed that all three of them had new clothes- T-shirts and pants. "How're you doing, Ichiro?" I asked.

"I'm fine." Ichiro said simply. He was obviously destroyed by his father's death. I didn't get it, though- why wasn't Mangetsu? His father was destroyed before his very eyes in probably the most graphic way possible.

"You're not fine." I said. I turned to Ko and Mangetsu. "Can I talk to Ichiro for a second, guys? Alone?" They understood. "Aunt Sakura's in my room." I told them. "She has fresh apples." I felt bad for Aunt Sakura, but Ko and Mangetsu would get her out of her mood.

"Don't expect them to be there when you get back." Mangetsu said devilishly. I rolled my eyes and the two ducked into my room. I grabbed Ichiro's hand and we walked upstairs, and we got to the roof. Fresh linens were drying in the cool breeze. We sat next to the chain link fence on the floor. Luckily, the Konoha Hospital was the least destroyed building in the village. Everyone was relieved by this fact.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"I said I'm fine." Ichiro said with a little bit of hostility.

"You seem totally fine." I said sarcastically. "You're in a village you've never known, you only know three people in it, and you're dad's dead. There's something wrong with this picture if you're _fine_."

Ichiro stood up angrily and started pacing in front of me. "Okay, I'm not fine. And do you know why? Because my father was insane and _he_ caused my mother's death, and he blamed it and everything else on Konoha! Juugo and me went back to get my little sister Ryo and Ko's brother Kimimaro and Ryo didn't even ask me where Otosan was! Even she gets that Otosan _never_ cared for either of us- just getting revenge on Konoha! The want for revenge destroyed him! And I hate him for leaving Ryo and me all alone!"

I sat in silence, letting Ichiro rant. He was looking down, his legs in a fighting stance and his fists clenched so hard I saw his hands bleed. His hair was hiding his face. Droplets of salt water fell onto the ground.

"But still…but still…I loved him!" Ichiro shouted. "He was the only dad I would ever have, and he taught me to use the Sharingan, and fire techniques, and how to use a sword! He wasn't even upset when he found out I couldn't use Lightning element." Ichiro started to breathe heavily. "And you!" He looked up at me, pointing. "You have the Gedo Summoning! Bring him back. Do it _now_! You saved me, and Ko, and your brother! And don't say it's too fucking late! That's bullshit!" I wondered again why Mangetsu didn't ask me this. I think I'd ask him later.

But there was the problem of Ichiro now that I needed to address. I stood up, walked up to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Did your dad ever say he loved you?" Ichiro immediately stopped breathing heavily to look me square in the eye, his eyes shining. "Your dad is too big of a person for me to resurrect. I can only do kids right now- I'm not powerful enough. Also, it _is_ too late to try now. The Gedo Summoning will only work in up to a 4 hour window for a practiced Rinnegan user." I put my forehead against his. "But did your dad love you? Did he love anything? What was his purpose, apart from revenge?" I couldn't even hear Ichiro's breathing. "Don't disturb those who would be better off in the peaceful realms. They're all in the past. Sasuke was all about revenge for the past. But that means that you loose a future.

"Focus on the future. Focus on what's now. And let Sasuke live in your memories, not as a bad man who attacked Konoha…but as your father. My dad's friend."

I walked to the door that led off the roof. Before I went down the stairs, I said, "Don't forget though- you're not alone. You have Ko, Mangetsu, me, and everyone else in Konoha. You're not alone." All I could hear as I shut the door were Ichiro's screaming sobs.

As I was walking downstairs, I ran into Mangetsu who was on his way to the bathroom. "Say, Mangetsu." I said, stopping him. "Why aren't you asking me to resurrect your father?"

Mangetsu gave me a creepy smile. "Some people are just better off dead." He said. "My dad wasn't much of a good man, but he was a good dad, since he raised me when my mom ran off. I loved him, but…I have common sense." Mangetsu tapped his noggin. I was so grateful that he didn't expect anything from me that I gave him a big hug.

"Mangetsu…thank you." We pulled apart.

"Now, Hikari…how about a date this Saturday?" I was taken aback. No one had ever asked me something like that before.

"If it's ramen and you're paying." I said with a smile, and walked back to my room.

"W-wait, Hikari! I don't have any money!"

I sighed, not turning to look at him. "Your dad gave you some of his money before we left the army compound. Check your old clothes." Mangetsu never throws anything out.

I walked into my room. It was filled with some of my favorite people. There was Aunt Sakura, Ko, Ken, Okachan, and Chichi. My mom was sitting on the bed. I sat next to her and I circled her waist with my arms and put my head on her shoulder. I didn't even care if other people looked on. I just wanted to hug my mom.

When I was done Ken sat next to me and I hugged him too. I had never felt more lucky. All my friends were alive, my family as well. That just made me feel sad, though, for the rest of my friends, whose families weren't.

Ko sat on my lap. And it clicked in my brain.

_We are our own family_.

The thought made me so happy.

My dad asked to be able to talk to me alone. I groaned, guessing what was coming. The rest of my visitors left.

"No. I can't resurrect Sasuke." I said.

"I wasn't going to ask that. Anyway, I guessed that you couldn't." I was taken by surprise. My dad, figuring something out by himself? Chichi sat on the bed opposite me. What he asked surprised me even more. Well…he isn't called "The Number One Most Surprising Ninja" for nothing.

"Are you going out with that Mangetsu kid?" I stared at him, my mouth agape. "Are you?"

I was on the defense. "Why?"

"Because if he ever hurts you he's dead." I sighed.

"He just asked me out two minutes ago." I said.

Dad crossed his arms and turned his nose up, thinking. "I will be warning him, though." He said.

"Is this all you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I have something for you." Chichi said. He dug into his famed red-orange cloak and withdrew something, handing it to me. I looked at the rectangle in my hands. It was my forehead protector. I grinned.

"Thanks, Chichi!" I said, and gave him a hug. I tied the protector around my neck, where my mom does it. It felt so right.

A question bubbled to my lips as we sat in a window of silence. I had to ask it. "Chichi?" I said. Dad unfolded his arms and looked at me.

"What is it, Hikari?" He said.

"Who's going to be the next Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi?" I asked. Chichi shrugged.

"I think it's going to be you." Chichi said. "Or Ken, or if either of you have a child." I gaped. "But it has to be an Uzumaki. That's the tradition for the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki." I gaped some more.

_Deal with it_. I thought. "It's a beautiful day." Chichi said. "Let's go outside with everyone." We both left the room.

Everyone was standing outside of Konoha Hospital in a group. There was Mom, Aunt Sakura, Juugo, Kakashi-sensei, as well as Ino, Choji, Sai, Shikamaru, Lee, Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten. Sakura was holding Ichiro's sister, Ryo, and Juugo was holding Kimimaro's little four-year-old hand. Ken, Ko, Mangetsu and Ichiro were also there. Ichiro was smiling, now.

Chichi drifted up to Mangetsu. "Okay, kid, you get this straight through your head. If my daughter so much as gets a scratch when you are with her, you will die. Got it?"

Mangetsu looked startled. Not something I thought I would ever see on Mangetsu's face. "…Yeah?" He said. Chichi nodded and walked away. I tried to hold in my laughter.

I saw all the adults now standing in a circle. They were talking about funeral plans…for those from the Konoha side lost, like Shino, Kiba, Shizune-sama, Eiji from my Genin team, the five hundred, thirty-two people villagers, and also for Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Ko's mother. I didn't want to hear any of it, so I motioned to my mom, my dad, and my Aunt Sakura that we were leaving. Then I beckoned to the other kids and we left, setting our sights for Hokage Mountain, Ken in the lead.

We walked in silence for a while. "Where are you guys staying?" I asked.

"We're staying at Ichiro's old family place." Ko said. "All of us." More silence.

"So what are you guys going to do next?" I asked.

Ichiro sighed. "I think I'm going to stay here." He began. "If Otosan hadn't left the village, I would have grown up here. My dad always said he wanted to revive the Uchiha clan…I think I'll do that here. But I'm not going to make it a clan of revenge, as Otosan always said it had been. It's going to be a clan of powerful Shinobi. I guess that means that I have to become one, too. I'm going to work to make this village a place where Ryo can grow up to be normal, without Otosan's grip on her. Now that I'm free to do what _I_ want to do, and not Otosan's plan for me, I'm going to become a Konoha Ninja, like you are, Hikari. I'm going to start at the Academy tomorrow." He pointed to my protector that I had around my neck. Ichiro smiled. The smile looked so good on him. I put my arm over his shoulder.

"Your sister is really special to you, isn't she?" I asked Ichiro.

"She's the most precious thing to me, so I need to become strong and defend her."

"Me, too." Ko said eagerly. "I want to be a strong kunoichi. I want to really be able to control my power to help people, not destroy things. My dad's not gonna be a ninja, though. He said he wants to live a quieter life, and raise Kimimaro as best as he can." I threw my other arm over Ko's shoulder. The Hokage Mountain was looming. The stairs to go up there were at the end of this street. They were covered in black scorch and explosion marks.

Mangetsu grinned toothily. "Of course, I can't be beaten by you guys." He said. "Once I got my forehead protector, I'm going to try to complete my dad's goal of reestablishing the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist. Except I guess I'll just get new swords instead. Make the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Leaf." I chuckled. We began to climb the stairs. I withdrew my arms from Ichiro and Ko's shoulders. Mangetsu continued. I guess this was the time for sentimental reasons. "I love my dad. But he also drove away my mom. I don't want to find her, because I've found nice people here who really like me, like your mom, Hikari, and Sakura-san. I'm going to miss my dad, but I'm the type who looks forward and never back. No regrets." Suigetsu may have liked to kill people, but Mangetsu did it because his dad was proud of him. No looking back. I'm going to try that someday.

"Sign me up for the Swordsmen group." Ichiro joked. I smiled.

"And you, Ken?" Ko asked. Ken turned around to us and grinned. He was at the top of the stairs, his fantastic stamina pushing him on. I got up to the top right after him, with everyone else huffing breathlessly.

"I'm going to be the best Byakugan user Konoha has ever seen." Ken said. "I promised that to everyone."

We sat down over Chichi's face, artistically carved into the wall. Ken sat on one side, Ko next to him, the Ichiro, Mangetsu, and me. My friends. I noticed the sun was just starting to set. "Did you shout it out lout to everyone during a formal family dinner?" I joked. Ken was silent. I looked down the line at him. "You didn't."

Ken was looking down. "I did." It was the hardest I had ever laughed in my life. After two months of no laughter, I had forgotten what sheer joy really felt like. I hadn't heard Ichiro, Ko, or Mangetsu really laugh before. Ichiro strangely had a guffaw, Ko's laugh was gentle and sweet, Mangetsu's rich and deep.

When we quieted down, Ichiro turned to me. "What about you, Hikari?" He asked. I was silent for a long time, thinking about what I was going to say.

"When everyone found out I had the Rinnegan, I was hated an ostracized by the village, like my dad was for being the Kyuubi." I began. "But I didn't care. I just wanted my family to pay attention to me, when they were always so busy. But now that I know they love me, the fact that everyone else fears me because of my Rinnegan really bothers me now." This was what I had wanted to say all along. Just couldn't find the words. Suddenly the power Sasuke held over me, the fact I had no friends, my loneliness- it was all gone. No regrets. "So I'm going to protect Konoha with my two hands, since it's my home, my friends, and my family. It's my most precious thing. I'm going to become more powerful than my dad."

My name, 'Hikari', means 'light'. We all have light in our hearts. Some people have lights too small to see. But I will be the bright light my friends and the village need. It is light inside of me that got me through the knowledge I was a dangerous person, a traitor, and a destroyer. "I'm confident that I can do it, even though I did terrible things. And since I was able to light my own path and forgive myself after what I had done. I would do it for others. I will become the light that the village needs to survive.

"I'm going to be Hokage."

**Thanks so much for all the subscribers, reviews, and awesomeness! I love you guys so much for supporting the fanfiction I really had to write. Hikari's story needed to be told. **

** LunaRoad is done talking. **


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